Choices, Changes & Promises
by SayleneHawk
Summary: Elena made her choice and Damon is a man of his word. Confronted by Stefan, Damon leaves town; but now that Elena is a vampire will her decision change? Rated M for language and sexual content. NOTE: As of 6/4/12 this story has been edited to comply with FanFiction's M-rating; for the uncensored MA version of this story please visit Fell's Church Library.
1. Decisions

**Author's note: **I don't own The Vampire Diaries. If I did I'd be substantially richer. No copyright infringement is intended. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, though I've been writing for years now. The story is set at the end of 3x22 "The Departed," though there are some flashbacks from the end of 3x21 "Before Sunset" and mid 3x22 to set the scene. Story is rated M for future chapters. I have no beta, only my edit happy self, so hopefully no errors, but bear with me if something sneaks in there. Happy reading!

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**Chapter 1: Decisions**

_"What happens when...uh... Elena makes a decision?" Stefan asked his brother with just a hint of nervousness._

_"You know how these things pan out, Stefan. She'll probably make a list of pros and cons and at the end of the day dump both of our asses." Damon replied with a bitter smirk._

_Stefan pursed his lips. "What if she doesn't?"_

_"Then she'll pick one of us." Damon's voice cracked ever so slightly as he replied, the look on his face clearly expressing which brother he expected Elena to pick before he turned his gaze back out the window._

_"Well if she chooses you...I'll leave town and let you two be happy and not be bothered by me."_

_Damon looked at Stefan, seemingly surprised by this offer. He paused for a moment, trying to decipher his brother's motivation. "And in sixty years...we'll go back to being brothers and none of this will have mattered, right?" Damon replied with a rueful smile._

_"Yeah." Stefan replied simply. Silence filled the car for a moment until Damon let out an exasperated sigh._

_"Fine. If she chooses you I'll...leave town too." Damon didn't seem in the least pleased to make this offer. It was clear that he felt obligated to do so. The silence stretched for a moment until Damon spoke again. "All this over one girl..."_

_"She's a pretty special girl." Stefan replied._

_"Yes she is." Damon said, a smile creeping across his lips as he looked out of the window once more._

* * *

_"Let me guess...calling to see if the Grim Reaper's paid a visit?" Damon said with a smirk as he answered his phone. He'd gotten used to putting on a mask of indifference, especially when it came to dealing with Elena. He wouldn't be a burden to her._

_"How are you feeling? Are there any symptoms?" Elena asked worriedly on the other end of the line._

_"Not yet, but I'm sure we'll have a laugh when we find out that Klaus is a big, fat liar." Damon replied flippantly._

_"Yeah, I'm...I'm sure we will." Elena stuttered, clearly lacking Damon's confidence._

_"Hey, where are you?" Damon questioned. Shouldn't she be near by now? _

_Elena paused for a long moment, unsure of how to respond. "Matt's taking me home." She said in a voice laced with regret. She knew how much this news would pain Damon._

_Damon fell silent for a moment, trying to process this information. It seemed like hours passed by before he responded, though in truth it was only minutes. "To Stefan..." He said in a voice laced with pain._

_"Not...just to Stefan, Damon...to Tyler, to Caroline..." Elena tried to defend herself, though even she knew that it sounded like a lackluster excuse._

_"No, I know, I get it." Damon cut her off, not wanting to hear her making excuses that he knew were just that...excuses. On the other end of the line Elena's eyes shone faintly with the gleam of tears, but none fell from her eyes._

_"So...since I'm possibly a dead man, can I ask you a question?" Damon asked, trying to keep his tone light in spite of his pain._

_"Yeah, of course." Elena's voice came to him from the receiver of his phone._

_"If it was just down to him and me...and you had to make a choice, who got the goodbye..." He paused, chuckling mirthlessly before letting out a sigh. "Who would it be?"_

_Riding in the passenger seat of Matt's truck, Elena bit down on her lip, fighting back tears. "I love him, Damon." She said, her voice cracking slightly on the words. "He came into my life at a time when I needed someone and I fell for him instantly. No matter what I feel for you, I...I never unfall for him."_

_"Hey, I get it. It's Stefan." He gave another lifeless laugh. "It's always going to be Stefan."_

_"I can't think about always, all I can think about is right now. And I care about you Damon, which is why I have to let you go." Elena's voice offered Damon no comfort. He could hear her crying on the other end of the line. "I mean maybe if I had met you first..."_

_A lance of pain shot through Damon's chest. If she had met him first...how many times had he heard similar excuses from her? If only she knew..."Yeah, maybe." He replied stoically._

_"You're going to be fine, you hear me? You're going to be okay and I'll see you soon." Elena said emphatically, as if saying it would make it so. Damon turned to see Alaric and knew that even if Klaus was somehow not the head of their bloodline, the chances of Elena being right about seeing him soon were slim to none. _

_"Real soon. Goodbye Elena." He replied, disconnecting the call._

* * *

"Where is she?" Damon demanded of Meredith as he stormed into the hospital.

"No, Damon, wait..." Meredith protested.

"**Where is she?**" Damon reiterated forcefully. The fact that he was alive was damn near a miracle, but it didn't matter if Elena was dead. He would have died a thousand times over to make sure that Elena lived.

Meredith grabbed Damon's arm and somehow managed to move herself in front of him, placing her palm on his chest to try and get him to stop moving and listen to her. "You need to know when Jeremy brought Elena in here earlier tonight her injuries were worse than I let on. It wasn't a concussion; it was a cerebral hemorrhage- bleeding on the brain."

Damon stopped for a moment and peered at Meredith curiously, trying to decipher her words. "What are you saying?"

"He was so worried I didn't want to tell him, but I...I helped her. She needed my help."

Realization hit Damon like a slap in the face. Meredith had given Elena blood. _His _blood. "You what?" He asked, unable to reconcile himself to the facts. Meredith gave no response, she simply stood there silently. After a moment he moved her aside, intent on finding Elena. If she had his blood that meant she was alive. Maybe not human any longer, but alive. He followed the signs to the morgue, his boots striking the floor forcefully as he walked. He hated the necessity of walking, but if he used his vampiric speed in the hospital it would draw attention. That was the last thing they needed if Elena was now a fledgling.

He was almost to the doors of the morgue when his brother intercepted him. Yet another hand was placed on his chest- the second this evening. This time there were no humans around though. His brother's interference was met with a feral snarl and a flashing of fangs.

"Out of my way, brother. Meredith told me what she did. That was my blood in those vials. Elena is my responsibility now." His jaw ticked with irritation. Stefan was standing between him and his childe. Between him and _Elena_. He needed to see her. Needed to be with her.

"She doesn't want to see you." Stefan told him. It was like a slap in the face.

"She's awake?" Damon questioned.

Stefan nodded. "And she doesn't want you here."

Damon paused, remembering their earlier conversation. But Elena was his _childe _now. Didn't that change things?

"Remember your promise." Stefan told him, seeing his brother's reticence to leave.

"What promise?" Damon snapped, not having the slightest clue what his baby brother was prattling on about.

"In the car...you promised that if Elena chose me you would leave town. She was on her way back to me when she died. She made her choice." Stefan said matter-of-factly.

"Like hell she was! She was on her way back for Tyler and Caroline, not you." Damon snapped, knowing that he was lying but not caring at that moment in time.

"You know that's not true, Damon." Stefan replied in a subdued voice, trying to be as kind and gentle about it as possible. He loved his older brother, but he wasn't going to keep fighting with him for Elena's attention.

Damon's face crumbled at his younger brother's gentle reprisal. It was a lie, but did Stefan really have to call him on it now? Did he have to send him away before he had even seen Elena's face? Before he saw with his own eyes that she was alive and well?

As if reading his brother's thoughts, Stefan spoke: "If you see her, it will just be harder on both of you. Please Damon..."

And that was it. He didn't care about himself; he lived in anguish daily, but Elena? He wouldn't put her through more than was necessary.

"Fine." He spat, hating his brother at that moment as much as he ever had. "Fine. Take care of her, baby brother. But you know that our agreement was only for a _human _lifetime. I'm not going to stay gone forever..." Damon reminded him.

"I know..." Stefan replied sadly. "I know."

Before the words had even left Stefan's mouth, Damon was gone. The rear doors of the hospital were left swinging in his wake.

In the morgue Elena bolted upright, the effects of the blood finally taking effect.

"Stefan? Damon?" She called in a trembling voice, terrified by the cold metal slab that she was resting upon and the dim, fluorescent lights that barely lit the sterile room she was in. How had she come to be here? What had happened to her? Why was she alone?

Stefan, having heard Elena awoke, stepped back into the morgue. "Elena, don't be frightened. You were in an accident, but everything is going to be okay. I'm here for you."

Elena's doe brown eyes came to rest upon Stefan as her mind gradually began to piece together what had happened. Matt's truck, it had gone off of the bridge. They'd plunged into the water, just like on the night that her parents had died. She had banged on the windows, tried to yank her seatbelt free, but to no avail. She was trapped, just like on the night that her parents had died. And just like that night, Stefan had come to save her. But this time she hadn't let him take her first. She'd made him take Matt...and she...

"I died." She stated numbly, still in shock. "I died, but how?" She reached for her arm and tried to find a pulse. Nothing. Stefan stared at her, his mouth set into a thin line.

"When Jeremy brought you in earlier, you didn't just have a concussion, you had blood on your brain. You were dying, Elena. Meredith gave you vampire blood to keep you alive. We didn't know, not until after..."

Elena listened numbly to his words. "I'm a vampire." She stated succinctly. "Matt?" She asked.

"Is fine. Some minor bumps and bruises from the crash, but he's going to be okay." Elena nodded. That was something, at least.

"Alaric?" She questioned next.

"Dead. He died with you."

"Damon?" She asked with a bit more emotion.

Stefan paused, considering how to answer. "Alive, but gone."

Elena frowned. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Damon would never just leave her. She knew that. Not when she needed him the most. Wait...needed him? Hadn't she just told him hours ago that she was letting him go?

_But that was before you were a vampire._ Her mind argued.

"We can discuss it later, Elena. For now we need to get you out of here. Come on." Stefan held out his hand to Elena. Elena paused, hesitating, and then placed her hand into his, shocked by the fact that for once they were the same temperature. The fact made her shudder.

"Let's go then." She stated hollowly as she slid off of the metal table where she had died. Died. Would she ever get used to that one?

Stefan curled his hand around hers and squeezed gently, giving Elena a smile. Elena didn't smile back; she simply let him lead her from the hospital through the same doors through which Damon had left only moments ago. With her new vampiric senses Elena caught Damon's smell and it made her pause. He had been here? But then why leave? She filed the information away in her brain, marking it _to be dealt with later_. For now she had more on her plate than she could handle. Damon would simply have to wait.

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**Author's Note: **That's it for Chapter 1. No Delena goodness yet, but I promise it is coming. Feedback is always appreciated. ^^


	2. Meetings & Partings

**Author's Note: **Once again, I don't own The Vampire Diaries and no copyright infringement is intended, nor do I own "Behind Blue Eyes" which was the inspiration for this chapter and this fic in general. Be warned there's not much plot progression in this chapter; this is more just to give some insight into Damon's current state of mind. I promise less introspection and more action come Chapter 3.

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**Chapter 2: Meetings and Partings**

The Chevy Camaro ZL-1 rolled down the highway, taking Damon farther and farther away from Mystic Falls. He had bought the car when it rolled off the line in 1969 and it still ran as well today as it had back then, though that was largely due to the fact that he babied the vehicle. The Camaro had stuck by him throughout the years and it was the closest thing he had to a home, pathetic as it was.

Thoughts of home led him to thoughts of Elena. She always seemed to be in his mind, unbidden, unwanted, but there. No matter how hard he tried not to think of her doe brown eyes rimmed by those thick black lashes or the way her breath hitched imperceptibly when he was near, he couldn't get her out of his head. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel and he could hear it whining in strain at the force. Regretfully he pulled his hand away and hit the button to turn on the radio, hoping that the music would drown out his thoughts, if only for a minute or two. "Behind Blue Eyes" started blasting through the Camaro's speakers. Damon couldn't help but laugh at the appropriateness of the tune. The chorus made him smirk with its words about dreams not being as empty as his conscience seemed to be. How ironic, but true. That was what Elena loathed about him, right? What always kept "baby bro" coming up first? Damon's lack of conscience, or at least what Elena thought was a lack of conscience. He'd done terrible things over the years, he knew that. He'd been petty and cruel, he'd even killed at times, but that didn't mean he lacked a conscience, only that he was human…except he wasn't. Was that what kept him from being number one? That he wasn't filled with self-loathing like Stefan? Well, they could both wallow in their self-hatred together now!

Biting back on his anger, tamping down on his feelings, he'd done it so much over this past year; hell, over these past centuries. Pain and misery had been his constant companions while he'd walked the world alone, cleaning up after his Ripper brother when he fell off the wagon and putting him back together when decided to get back on it, all the while chasing after Katherine who- as it turned out- had never been missing in the first place. He'd been sure that he would never love another, not after the way Katherine had betrayed him, but it had been too late. He had already fallen for Elena, even knowing that she was off-limits. His baby brother's girl- but hadn't Katherine been his? Turnabout was fair play, right? But Elena wasn't Katherine. She cared about what was right and in her mind, what was right was for her to stay with Stefan. After all, he'd met her first. Damon couldn't help but laugh at that, the memory of his first meeting with Elena swimming to the forefront of his brain unbidden.

_The pavement had been cold beneath his back as he lay stretched out in the middle of the road, awaiting his next meal. On the back roads of Mystic Falls Damon knew that he might have to wait quite some time, but what did he have if not time? A century and a half of existence had taught him patience if nothing else. At first there was nothing but the sound of crickets and the wind blowing through the trees, making the leaves rustle softly, but then the sound of a familiar voice made him turn his head, searching for the source of the sound._

"_I know Bonnie, you're right. You and my mom both are, I just can't bring myself to tell him…at least not tonight. I'll call you later."_

_His eyes landed upon the owner of the voice: a gorgeous, petite brunette on the cusp of adulthood. Her hair fell straight around her face rather than being bound in elaborate curls as it had been when he met her, but he would know that form anywhere. Katherine. But how could it be? He had come here to free her from the tomb where she had been trapped for over a century now._

"_Katherine." He breathed her name like a prayer as he came to stand in front of her. The brunette's eyes widened, but not with recognition, but confusion and perhaps a bit of fear. She started to back away. Damon's excitement turned to confusion and hurt._

"_Uhm…no…I…I'm Elena." She replied tentatively, looking over her shoulder and seeming as if she might bolt at any second. Damon tried to process this information and provide an appropriate response so that she wouldn't run away screaming._

"_Oh. You…you just look…" He struggled for words he didn't have, shoving down his disappointment and trying to salvage the situation. "I'm sorry, you just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon." He said with a smile, turning on the charm that he was infamous for to try and put her at ease._

"_Not to be rude or anything Damon, but it's kind of creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." Elena replied, not quite buying into the charm._

"_You're one to talk." Damon replied flippantly. "You're out here all by yourself."_

"_It's Mystic Falls, nothing bad ever happens here." Elena said with youthful naiveté._

_Damon nodded, clearly dubious about the validity of this statement, but not about to frighten the girl by disagreeing._

_Elena paused for a moment and then heaved a brief sigh before holding up her phone. "I got into a fight with my boyfriend." She volunteered, explaining her presence._

"_About what, may I ask?" Damon lifted his hands in the universal signal for 'no offense meant.' _

_Elena shook her head softly. "Life, future, he's got it all mapped out…"_

"_And you don't want it?" Damon asked with a small smile evident upon his lips._

_Elena shrugged in reply. "I don't know what I want."_

"_Well that's not true. You want what everyone wants." Damon replied sagely._

_Bemused by his statement, Elena cocked her head to the side and asked: "What, a mysterious stranger who has all the answers?"_

_Damon chuckled at her reply. "Well let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things." He pursed his lips softly and nodded his head in a 'wink-wink-nudge-nudge' sort of expression of knowledge._

"_So Damon, tell me, what is it that I want?"_

_Damon took this as the invitation he needed to approach her and began to walk closer. _

"_You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, and adventure, and even a little danger." He smiled his trademark smile as Elena gave him a wide-eyed look, surprised by his insightfulness and a little intimidated by her sudden attraction to a man who was no more than a stranger._

"_So…what do you want?" Elena asked, trying to break the spell. Damon paused, caught off guard by the question, and let out a soft sigh. Before he could reply a car horn honked somewhere nearby and Elena turned to see who it was._

"_It's my parents." She announced, turning back to Damon. His gaze caught hers and he did something that he would later come to regret: he compelled her._

"_I want you to get everything you're looking for, but right now I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet." He frowned, hating that he had to remove her memory of this meeting. "Goodnight Elena." And with that he disappeared from her view._

If only he had known what importance Elena had ascribed to a first meeting he would never have removed the memory, damn the consequences.

"_I mean maybe if I had met you first…"_

He knew that those words were going to haunt him for the rest of his life. He shut the radio off, not in the mood to hear anymore. He'd been trying to drown out his thoughts, not wallow in them. It seemed an impossible task.

_Elena is alive. That's what's important. _He tried to tell himself this, but it lacked the ring of truth. Elena was alive and that _was _what was most important, but that didn't change the pain that he felt. She was more connected to him than ever and yet she had never been so far away.

_"She's awake?" Damon questioned._

_Stefan nodded. "And she doesn't want you here."_

_She doesn't want you here. _Damon's mind taunted him.

"_I care for you." _Elena's voice flitted through his head.

Care.

Always care.

Never love.

"It will always be Stefan," Damon mocked himself aloud, trying to reconcile with the truth. "Just Stefan…"

His hand hit the steering wheel again and this time the force of the blow made the steering wheel snap in two. The car went careening off of the road, plunging down into a ditch and coming to a stop as it slammed into a tree, introducing Damon's forehead to his broken steering wheel in the process. For a moment he simply lay there, imagining he could feel his car's pain and wishing he could just give up. He knew that wasn't an option though. Elena would hate him for being so weak. Elena…it always came back to her.

He gave a sigh and unbuckled his seatbelt before prying open his car door. Even though he had hit the tree head on, the door was slightly bent from the massive impact of the tree; he was lucky he wasn't a human or he would probably be on his way to the hospital right about now. He examined the car and shook his head. His poor baby was definitely injured and it wasn't going anywhere tonight.

"Guess this is as far as I'm getting tonight." He said with a sigh. "Sorry baby. We'll get someone to fix you up in the morning." He patted the car lovingly and then as an afterthought reached in to grab his keys. He'd left in such a hurry that he hadn't even bothered to pack, so that was one less thing to worry about. He looked around to make sure no humans were in sight and then took off to the nearest town with vampiric speed. Within minutes he arrived on the outskirts of town, just in time for the sky to open up and start dumping rain upon his head. Damon let out a groan and looked up at the sky.

"Yeah, great, thanks! I _really _needed that, ya' bastard." He growled at the sky before making for the nearest dive bar he could find. Sleep, he knew, would not come tonight. Better to drown in bourbon and try not to think about all that he had left behind.

* * *

**Author's Note: **That's it for Chapter 2. I promise more action next chapter and progress towards a Damon & Elena reconciliation, but I wanted to give Damon a chance to show us where he is mentally, not to mention a reason to stop running (at least for the moment). Tell me what you think!


	3. First Blood

**Author's Note: **First off, thank you so much to those of you who reviewed, favorited and put the story on alert! It made my day. I also want to give props to AnnGeL2010 for her fantabulous Damon/Elena "I Can't Lose You" compilation on YouTube, which helped greatly in getting my creative juices going. Now for the standard disclaimer: I sadly do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of the characters. No copyright infringement is intended. On to chapter 3!

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**Chapter 3: First Blood**

"No, I won't do it. There has to be somebody else." Elena protested as she paced in front of the fire in the Salvatore's home- now her home, at least for the time being. Everyone had agreed that for Jeremy's safety it was best that she not be invited into her own home until she had a better handle on this whole _being a vampire _thing; but first, she had to feed in order to complete the transition. Elena had no problem with the idea of feeding since she didn't want to die twice in one day; it was the matter of who to feed on that bothered her. The current nominee was her childhood friend and once boyfriend, Matthew Donovan.

Caroline rolled her eyes at Elena. "Alright, then who?"

Elena frowned at the question, unable to answer. Caroline flounced over to Elena, placing her hands on Elena's biceps and peering into her eyes. "Face it, Elena. Matt is the best option. He knows about vampires, he's willing to donate, and he loves you." Elena opened her mouth to protest, but Caroline quickly put a finger to her lips, cutting her off. "He loves you _as a friend_. Believe me; I know you two are yesterday's news romantically. That doesn't change the fact that he has loved you since we were all playing in the sandbox and he's a perfectly healthy, red blooded American male."

At this, Elena finally voiced her protest. "But he's _not _healthy. He was in the truck with me. He nearly drowned."

Stefan decided that this was a good time to intercede. "But he didn't. He got out with nothing more than a few bumps and bruises. The hospital didn't even hold him. I know you don't like this, Elena, but you have to feed from someone and Matt is the best choice. If you get out of control Bonnie will be able to work her magic and stop you before you can hurt him; if you feed off of her she might not be able to stop you and we could hurt her more trying to pry you off of her."

Elena sighed, but she seemed to accept the wisdom in Stefan's words. "Alright, fine…call them and have them come over."

Elena didn't look thrilled about the situation, but Caroline wasn't about to give her a chance to back out. "Great! We'll go call them. You just relax in here; Stefan and I are going to step outside." She flashed Elena one of her brightest smiles before grabbing Stefan by the arm and yanking him out the door at speeds too fast for human eyes to process.

Caroline dragged Stefan quite a ways out into the woods, not wanting Elena to overhear their conversation with her acute hearing. Once they reached a distance that she deemed suitable she released her hold on Stefan and came to a stop.

"Before we get Bonnie and Matt involved in all of this…where's Damon?" Caroline questioned succinctly.

Stefan paused for a moment, letting the silence stretch between them until it became uncomfortable. Finally he questioned: "Does it matter?"

Caroline's lips pursed in displeasure. She had the look on her face that all of her friends were familiar with; the one that said that she wasn't happy about the situation and heads were about to roll if she didn't get her way. "Uh, yeah, of course it matters Stefan. In case you haven't noticed, Elena is a _vampire_ now. No offense, but you're not exactly the picture of vampire mental health. You just got finished falling off the wagon and eating the pioneers. You're hardly in any shape to help Elena deal with her urges and I'm just learning to control my own, so I'm not a great candidate either. That just leaves Damon."

Stefan's jaw set into a hard line and his lips pressed together. It was clear from his expression and the set of his body that he wasn't pleased with the turn this conversation was taking.

"He left." Stefan volunteered.

Caroline arched one perfectly-shaped blonde eyebrow. "Excuse me? He _left_? Elena dies, gets turned into a vampire, and you expect me to believe that Damon just decided it was a good time to take a vacation?"

Stefan gave a low growl, his patience growing thin. "Damon has never been reliable, especially when he's hurting. Elena picked me, Damon left. What else do you want me to say?"

Caroline paused, taking a moment to process this new information. Damon _did _have a tendency to go on binges when he was hurt, but he had never abandoned Elena to do so. She had the feeling that there was more to this scenario than Stefan let on, but he obviously wasn't going to volunteer the information and right now Elena was Caroline's number one priority. "Alright, I'll deal with finding Damon later. I'll call Bonnie, you call Matt. Let's get this done with as soon as possible. I don't know about you, but I'll feel better when Elena's sipping off of blood bags instead of live specimens."

Stefan nodded numbly and Caroline turned and began to walk away, dialing Bonnie as she walked.

* * *

The cool, amber colored liquid slid out of the decanter and poured smoothly into one of the heavy crystal glasses that Damon kept in their living room. Elena had many memories of Damon completing this ritual himself and she couldn't help but to wonder where he was that he wasn't joining her in the ritual now. Stefan had said that he was gone, but gone for how long? Where had he gone? Why did she care?

_Because I care about him. _Her mind provided in a snarky tone. There was that damned word again: care. Why was she always telling Damon she _cared _about him? What did that mean? Even she didn't know. She could admit that she loved Matt even if he was only a friend, so why couldn't she give Damon the same courtesy?

She carried her glass of bourbon over to the couch and sat, curling her legs up underneath of her. She lifted the glass towards her lips and then paused for a moment so that she could examine its details. Since she had awoken as a vampire everything had been a flurry of motion. This was the first moment of calmness, of stillness, and she was finally able to appreciate the changes that were already occurring in her body.

The glass that she held in her hands was heavy and she could feel the fine workmanship in the crystal, the perfectly smooth edges and the elegant curves. It truly was a piece of art, especially with the firelight reflecting off of the crystal and the golden-brown liquid that was contained within it. She lifted the glass closer to her nose, inhaling the scent of the bourbon within it. With her new senses there was a whole new level of complexity to the smell. There was the strong scent of oak from the barrel that the bourbon had been distilled in and just the faintest undertones of smoke at first whiff, but once her nose adjusted she detected a sweeter smell, like a mix of vanilla and molasses with just a hint of mint. The initial smell reminded her of Damon, which wasn't exactly surprising given how often Damon drank the liquid, but what did surprise her was that the more subtle smells reminded her of her own scent: the warm vanilla and sugar body wash she liked to use mingled with the mint toothpaste she used to brush her teeth in the morning. She had a moment to wonder if Damon was reminded of her smell as well before the door burst open and Elena dropped the glass guiltily. The glass she'd been admiring only moments ago crashed to the floor and shattered into a million pieces, spilling the amber liquid that had been inside it across the hardwood and effectively perfuming the room with Damon's bourbon.

Elena cursed and moved to clean up the mess, but before she could Stefan's voice reached her ears. "Leave it." He said in a voice that was quiet, but authoritative. Elena stopped instantly, but not because he had demanded it; rather because she was surprised by his tone. Her chocolate colored eyes slid over his form and a frown creased her lips as she tried to understand what was going on. Stefan was clearly upset, but why?

Elena had little time to ponder this question because Matt and Bonnie arrived close on Stefan's heels, bringing their very human scents with them. The smell of the bourbon had been rich and seductive, but the smell of the humans? It was simply overwhelming. Elena's heart screamed _friends_, but her predatory instincts screamed _prey_. Without Elena's consent her fangs extended and the veins around her eyes began to darken and protrude, making her look much more monstrous. Bonnie seemed flustered, but after a moment's hesitation she gathered her wits about her and regained her composure, looking cool and collected once more. Matt didn't even seem to notice. Heedless of his own safety Matt approached Elena. Stefan stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder, but Matt wasted no time in rolling his shoulder and dislodging Stefan's hold on him.

"Matt…" Stefan warned.

"Don't, Stefan. Look, I know that vampires are dangerous and all, but this is Elena. She's not going to hurt me." He moved to sit on the couch, close to Elena, but not touching. Elena looked away; obviously ashamed of the way she'd bared her fangs at Matt and Bonnie. When she didn't turn back to him Matt reached out to gently grasp her chin between his fingers and made her look at him once more.

"There's my girl." He said with a good-old-boy smile. Elena smiled back at him and began to relax.

"I'm glad you're alive, Elena. I'd hug you, but well…I don't want to push my luck." Matt said with another smile. "I trust you though. I know you won't hurt me, so go ahead."

Matt tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck to Elena. Elena eyed him hungrily; not in the sexual way as she might have once upon a time, but out of actual hunger- the desire to feed. She paused for a moment, afraid of her own desires.

Caroline saw Elena's hesitation and frowned. She recalled vividly what Elena was feeling and knew what she feared. Elena wasn't quite as lost as she had been when she was turned, but that didn't make things any easier. Caroline wished, not for the first time today, that Damon was there. She knew that for Elena he would have all the answers. Her blue eyes flickered to Stefan, who was standing stoically in the doorway. No help from that corner, obviously.

"It's okay, Elena. We won't let you hurt Matt. Right, Bonnie?" She smiled brightly at Elena and looked to Bonnie for support.

Bonnie gave a somewhat less enthusiastic smile, but nodded. "I'll make sure you don't hurt Matt." Bonnie replied, earning her a frown from Caroline before the Barbie-like vampire plastered on her prom queen face to reassure Elena. "See? It's perfectly safe. We've got your back, 'Lena."

Elena smiled and nodded to Caroline. "Thanks Care." She gave her friend a look that clearly expressed how grateful she was for her support before looking towards Matt. "I'll do my best to be gentle." She promised before leaning in and sinking her fangs into Matt's neck. In spite of her efforts Elena was a bit rough and Matt struggled instinctively. Stefan stepped in and compelled him. "_Elena isn't hurting you. Everything is fine._"

"Everything is fine." Matt repeated, and soon enough it was. Without Matt struggling against her Elena was better able to control her feeding. When Caroline reckoned that Elena had taken enough she reached out and gently tapped Elena's shoulder. After only a moment's hesitation Elena lifted her head from Matt's neck and quickly scooted back across the couch, putting as much distance between the two of them as possible without actually getting up and moving. She licked her bloody lips self consciously and then looked to Matt. The compulsion was fading and Elena could tell that Matt was back to being Matt.

"Did I hurt you?" Elena asked nervously.

Matt gave her an aw-shucks sort of grin. "Not really, but that's one hell of a hickey you gave me there, Elena."

Elena blushed, or at least she thought she did. She wasn't quite sure about the mechanics of vampire blushing, but either way she knew she looked embarrassed. Obviously Matt could tell as well, because he laughed and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"I'll be fine, Elena. I'm a little tired and my neck's a bit sore, not gonna' lie, but it's nothing a good meal and some rest won't fix. I'll go home and rest so you don't worry, alright?" He pushed himself off of the couch and stood. He was a little wobbly at first, but Caroline steadied him and got him over to Bonnie, who watched the whole scene impassively.

"Thanks Matt." Stefan called.

"Anything for Elena." Matt said with a smile. "You two take care of her." He added before looking to Bonnie. "You mind giving me a ride home?"

Bonnie shook her head softly. "Of course I don't mind." She paused, remaining silent for a long moment. "I'll talk to you later, okay Elena?"

Elena hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Of course, Bonnie. Thanks for being here for me."

Bonnie gave a brief nod and then escorted Matt out the door. As soon as they were gone Elena frowned and looked to Caroline. "I guess this just makes things worse for Bonnie. First you're turned into a vampire, then her mom and now me?" Elena shook her head softly. "At this rate Bonnie is never going to talk to me again."

Caroline gave Elena a reassuring smile. "Now now, forever is a long time for us." Caroline reminded her, tapping Elena playfully on the nose.

Elena let out a hearty laugh and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose it is." She gave Caroline a hug before glancing to Stefan. He had been surprisingly quiet throughout this whole ordeal and Elena wasn't in the mood to deal with his brooding tonight.

"It has been a long day guys. I think I'm going to go turn in. Vampire 101 can wait until tomorrow, right?" Elena looked between the two questioningly.

Stefan nodded. "Of course it can. Do you want me to stay with you?" Stefan asked, looking hopeful.

Elena paused for a moment, taking note of the hopeful look in Stefan's eyes. She just couldn't do it. "No, not tonight, Stefan. I just really need some time to myself. You understand, right?"

A flash of hurt flickered across Stefan's face, but he covered it up quickly. "Of course, I understand."

Elena nodded and then looked towards Caroline. "Night, Care."

Caroline smiled at her. "Night, Elena. If you need anything I'll be in one of the guest rooms."

Elena smiled at Caroline in return. "Thanks Care, I appreciate it."

With that Elena turned and made her way upstairs, finding her way into one of the other guest rooms and falling into bed exhausted.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And so ends Chapter 3. As always, reviews are appreciated! Next chapter I have plans for some Delena goodness, so stay tuned!


	4. Just the Beginning

**Author's Note: **Here we are at Chapter 4. As always, I don't own The Vampire Diaries (sadly) and no copyright infringement is intended. A big thanks to everyone who reviewed and put the story on alert and a special thank you to Melissa Williams de Salvatore, who has reviewed twice now! I truly appreciate all the support from everyone, which is why I'm working so hard to get these chapters out as quickly as possible. That being said, Chapter 4 has some serious Delena lemons in it (along with some light bondage/domination), so if you're squeamish, you've been warned. Otherwise, happy reading! **Note: As of 6/4/12 this chapter has been edited to comply with 's M-rating; for the uncensored version of the story please visit Fell's Church Library. If you have trouble locating the uncensored version please PM me and I will do my best to assist you.**

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**Chapter 4: Just the Beginning**

_"I saw a crow...there was fog...a man...that is just the beginning."- Bonnie Bennett_

Elena couldn't sleep. She was exhausted, but it was like her body was wired for sound. Every single creak of the house as it settled, every leaf that rustled outside the window, all of it seemed to echo in her ears and thwart every chance at rest. She'd taken a warm bath in the hopes that it would relax her, but all that had done was add scents to the mix: the rich scent of warm vanilla and sugar from her body wash and the more subtly sweet smell of her shampoo and conditioner. It had at least washed the scent of the river from her body; all that remained of the event now were the clothes that she had been wearing, half-dried but still carrying the scent of the river. After careful consideration Elena discarded the clothes she'd been wearing, not particularly wanting to see them ever again.

It was only after she'd discarded her clothing that she realized she didn't have any clothes at the boarding house. The soap and shampoo were leftovers from when she'd stayed regularly with Stefan, but her clothing had migrated back to her own abode while Stefan had been on his Ripper binge. Damon stayed at her house more often than she stayed at the boarding house anyway. The thought brought the image of Damon to the forefront of her mind. She could see him perfectly: stretched out on her pink bed in his biker boots, jeans and a black shirt while clutching her teddy bear, his dark eyes smoldering at her as they always did. The image tightened things low in her body and made her mouth suddenly dry.

_What am I doing? _She scolded herself mentally. _I just told Damon that I had to let him go and here I am fantasizing about him._

_Maybe that's because it wasn't him that you should have let go... _A darker part of her mind volunteered. Elena shoved this thought aside and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her body before padding out of her guest room, planning on seeking out Caroline and seeing if perhaps Care could go grab her something to wear. Before she could make it to the guest room where Caroline had taken up temporary residence, Elena's gaze was drawn to another room: Damon's.

Stefan had tried to shut the door, she could tell. There was only a small crack that showed the door wasn't closed completely. Damon's door wasn't hung quite right and if you didn't lift it up when you pulled it closed the door would eventually slip downwards and come unlatched, leaving it hanging open just a bit as it was now. She paused for a moment, feeling the trepidation of someone considering a decision that was clearly illicit. She held her breath and listened for a moment to the rhythms of the house, trying to make sure that everyone was asleep. When she realized that they were she reached out and gently touched the doorknob, letting the door swing open slowly under its own momentum so that it would make no sound.

When the crack was wide enough she slipped inside the room. As an afterthought she turned back towards the door, deciding to shut it behind her. She frowned when she saw that the door had been _locked_. Stefan had tried to lock her out of Damon's room. A flare of anger rose in her chest and she considered slamming the door so that Stefan would know precisely where she was, but after a moment's pause she decided against it. The last person she wanted to deal with right now was Stefan. Instead she lifted the door as she had learned to do and slid it closed, locking it as Stefan had obviously desired before turning back to the room.

Elena's face fell a little when she saw that the room was empty. She'd expected it, of course, but even still she found there was a small part of her that had been clinging to the hope that she'd turn around and he'd just be there as he always was. Instead she found an empty room illuminated only by the moonlight that filtered in through the windows. In her mind she knew that there was barely enough light to navigate the room, but her vampiric senses begged to differ. She could see everything just as if it was broad daylight, from the burnished gold comforter with its geometric pattern to the tiniest detail on the oriental rug that was placed beneath the bed. More than that, she could _smell _everything. Before she would have had to lay her head on Damon's pillow to even hope to catch a whiff of his scent, but now it was as if his very essence had been absorbed into the room. It caught her off guard, overwhelming her for a moment and making her back her way onto Damon's bed, her legs giving out from under her as soon as she felt the mattress touch the backs of her thighs.

Elena swallowed hard and let her eyes travel around the room, hundreds of memories running through her head at once: Damon standing in front of the windows with his back to her as he brooded over her latest suicidal plan, Damon sipping on his customary glass of bourbon as she apologized for slapping him, Damon's hands upon her face and his eyes boring into hers as he told her that he would always choose her.

He would always choose her. And she had never chosen him. Not once.

Her fingertips drifted to her lips, touching them ever so gently. She could still remember each and every time he had placed his lips upon hers; the soft kiss filled with regret that they had shared in this room when she had thought that Damon was about to die and the passionate, fiery kisses that they had shared later on her front porch and again when they had gone to retrieve Jeremy. The first time she had kissed him she had thought that her heart was breaking into a million pieces. She had lost so many people she loved already and the thought of losing Damon was unbearable, but the kisses after...they had consumed her.

Her words to Matt earlier that evening haunted her. _"The problem is Damon...when I'm with him...it just consumes me."_

And somewhere, distantly in her mind came another echo: _"You want what everyone wants...You want a love that consumes you."_

Elena frowned, trying to grasp at the memory, but it was gone. She shook her head and pushed herself off of the bed, suddenly acutely aware of her nudity. She had planned on asking Caroline, but really, why bother? She padded quietly over to Damon's dresser and began to rifle through his drawers. It wasn't hard to find his stash of black t-shirts, but it was difficult to find his underwear. She finally located a few pairs of boxers stashed in the back of one of the drawers and commandeered one pair for her own. She slid on the boxers and the t-shirt, letting Damon's smell wrap around her. Though she knew she shouldn't be, she was comforted by the smell. She closed the drawers and climbed into Damon's bed, sliding beneath the covers. With Damon's scent surrounding her Elena closed her eyes and was finally able to fall asleep.

* * *

Elena wasn't sure how much time had passed before she opened her eyes again. It couldn't have been long because the moonlight was still filtering in through the open curtains, and yet somehow the windows had opened. Had she been sleepwalking? Elena frowned, puzzled, as fog started to crawl in through the open windows. Elena found this odd, particularly since Damon's room was on the second floor of the boarding house, but she didn't question it. She pushed back the covers and rolled out of bed, her bare feet hitting the floor with a soft thud. Her eyes still bleary with sleep, Elena began to pad over to the window as the fog brushed coolly along her ankles. She reached out to grasp the windows, intending on pulling them closed, but before she could a loud **caw **startled her and she was forced to jump back as the largest crow she'd ever seen flew through the window and landed upon the bed. Elena turned towards the bed, intent on chasing the crow out of the room, but when she turned what she saw was no crow, but Damon Salvatore himself.

He looked as delicious as ever with his inky black hair in its perpetual state of disarray, conjuring images of him in the bed he must surely have vacated only moments ago; only this time he hadn't vacated the bed, he was occupying it. He was stretched out lazily on his side, one arm supporting his head so that he was propped up facing the window- facing Elena- with his sultry blue eyes roving over her form. He wore no shirt, only a pair of black jeans that were rumpled as if he truly _had _been sleeping in them. With her newly heightened senses Elena could finally appreciate the true art of his form. She allowed her eyes to linger upon him for a moment, marveling at the way the soft rays of moonlight slid over his perfectly toned chest, accentuating the masculine edges of his body; the way that the dark stubble had begun to grow upon his jaw, giving him a rakish look; and most of all the way he smirked at her, his lips curling up ever so slightly at the corner as he admired her in return, his eyes filled with that ever-present fire: his desire for her.

"You should wear my clothes more often. They look good on you. Of course, they would look better on the floor..." His voice felt like a physical caress, rolling along her skin and making every hair on Elena's body lift in awareness.

"Damon...Stefan said you left." Elena gasped in way of greeting, the windows completely forgotten for the moment.

"I did." Damon said matter-of-factly.

"Well I'm glad you're back." Elena said, struggling for words.

One of Damon's dark eyebrows lifted curiously. "Are you?" He asked with a cryptic expression upon his face.

"Of course." Elena replied without hesitation.

"I thought you said that you had to let me go? Because you _care_ about me, as I recall." Damon drawled in a sarcastic and slightly bitter tone.

"I did." Elena said with a frown. "But..."

"But?" Damon interrupted.

Elena hesitated for a moment. "But...I think I made the wrong choice." Elena confessed.

An expression of surprise flickered across Damon's face along with a momentary look of triumph before his expression became guarded again. He knew better than to get his hopes up.

"You think?" He questioned. "You're really not very good at this whole decision-making thing, are you Elena?"

Elena opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get the words out, Damon cut her off. "So maybe I should start making your decisions for you."

Elena frowned, puzzled by this turn of events, but before she had time to contemplate the statement Damon was out of the bed and pinning her to the wall, his hands on either side of her head and his naked chest pressing against her. Elena's doe-brown eyes went wide with surprise. She was a vampire now and she still hadn't seen him move. Damon seemed to notice her surprise and gave a smirk as he lowered his head down towards hers, his blue eyes locking with her brown ones and staring into them with predatory heat.

"You always get so angry with me when I make your decisions for you Elena, but really you're just angry with yourself, aren't you? Angry because you're too _scared_ to make the decision that you know is right for you."

Elena lowered her eyes, unable to bear the weight of Damon's accusing glare, but he didn't let her escape. Not this time. He gripped her chin and lifted her gaze to his own.

"Well now **I'm **angry, Elena. I am downright _sick _of you being brave enough to fight for everyone except for yourself. That's it, isn't it Elena? You'd rather be _miserable _with Stefan than happy with me, just so you don't shatter everyone's delusion that you're some perfect, self-sacrificing martyr. The incarnation of goodness. Because if you're not _perfect_ then what is everyone fighting for? What is everyone _dying _for?"

Elena flinched at Damon's accusations, tears welling to her eyes. "I don't want _anyone _to die for me."

"But they have, Elena. They have, and now you have died and you're still making the same rookie mistakes, trying to cling to your humanity because you're afraid that if you love me you're going to turn into a big, bad vampire like me instead of a bunny-eating hippie like my baby brother."

Elena rested against the wall quietly, doing her best to fight back the tears that threatened to spill down her face.

"There's only one problem with all of that."

"What?" Elena questioned numbly, steeling herself for Damon's final blow.

"My bunny-eating brother is a _Ripper_, and if you keep going down this road you're going to destroy all of us. Stefan will fall off the wagon trying to keep you on it, you'll spend the rest of _forever _blaming yourself for it and trying to clean up after his mess, and I..."

Damon paused, swallowing past the lump in his throat and turning his gaze away. This time it was Elena's turn to reach out with a trembling hand and turn his face back to her. He didn't even bother to try hiding the tears that were dripping down his face.

"You?" Elena prompted him.

"I can't live without you. I know I promised him, but I can't." Damon replied, his voice hoarse with tears. His hand reached up to gently cup Elena's cheek, brushing a few strands of her hair away from her face in the process. Elena opened her mouth to question what Damon meant, but before she could his mouth was covering her own and the whole world was going up in flames.

His lips crushed hungrily against hers, harsh and demanding at first, but then almost pleading; Damon's emotions were always apparent in the way he kissed and whenever their lips touched Elena was always shocked by the depth of feeling that could be expressed without so much as a word. This time was no different as Damon's mouth moved against hers, coaxing her to respond, to show him that she loved him. What else could she do? She kissed him back, passionately, desperately, as if her very life depended on it. At that moment perhaps it did. His fingers curled into her hair, gently caressing her scalp and then gripping a little harder on the silken brown strands, clinging to them as if they were a lifeline. His other hand found her hip and gripped gently, oh-so-gently, pulling her towards him. In his mind he knew that Elena was a vampire now and much harder to hurt, but in his heart she was still little Elena Gilbert, the human whom he loved more than life itself. No matter how hurt he was, no matter how angry, Damon could never harm a hair upon her head.

His hand found its way underneath her shirt- _his shirt_, God how sexy she looked wearing it- and he began to gently stroke the pads of his fingers along her soft, smooth skin. He felt the elastic waistband of his boxer shorts resting along her waist, impeding his access to her form, but not for long. He grasped the waistband of the boxers and pulled them down in one swift yank, letting them pool on his floor at Elena's feet. Elena didn't step out of the boxers, but instead was lifted out as Damon twined one arm around her and pulled her to his chest, lifting her ever so slightly as he started to back away from the wall and began to move towards the bed.

* * *

Elena awoke to a scream, only to realize it was her own. Her body was still swamped with pleasure, her muscles trembling with the aftereffects of her orgasm. Unfortunately the afterglow didn't last long as the harsh rays of sunlight began to burn her skin. Her screams of pleasure turned into screams of pain as the light seared her flesh.

Before she had time to process what was going on the door flew open, obviously forced based on the loud **thud **that proceeded it and the way it went banging into the wall as Stefan rushed in. The curtains were yanked closed and the pain began to fade as darkness enveloped the room. A few seconds later the room was flooded was light again as Caroline followed close on Stefan's heels, hitting the light switch as she entered the room.

"What the hell?" Caroline snarled, looking for the source of the disturbance.

"I...I left the curtains open." Elena explained embarrassedly.

"In Damon's room." Stefan said in a deadpan voice. His nostrils flared as if he was scenting the air and Elena knew exactly what he smelled, because she smelled it too. The scent of her arousal permeated the air, mingling with Damon's scent and filling the room like an accusation. She was still clothed, to her own surprise, and Damon was nowhere to be found. The thought made her frown. Had he left already? But why... Realization hit her like a semi-truck.

"It was a dream." She breathed, talking to herself.

"Apparently a damned good one." Stefan replied. She could see the muscle in his jaw twitching with anger. All of the bravado she'd felt last night faded and gave way to embarrassment. There were a hundred things she could have said, accusations she could have slung at him, but they all died on her tongue. Maybe if Damon had been there she would have been more brazen and unashamed, but it was only a dream.

Suddenly the rumpled sheets were intensely interesting.

Stefan didn't say another word, he simply walked out. She heard the front door slam and she knew that he was gone.

Caroline looked over Elena, a sympathetic frown upon her face. She remained silent for a long while before finally speaking: "I'm going to go call Bonnie and make sure she gets that daylight ring done for you as soon as possible. You take a few minutes to get your thoughts together and then we'll talk about it, okay?" She smiled reassuringly at Elena and moved to leave, starting to pull the door closed behind her. Before she left entirely Caroline paused, looking back over her shoulder at Elena.

"Hey, Elena?"

"Yeah?" Elena muttered miserably.

"Just remember, no matter what happens I'm always on your side." Caroline smiled fondly at her friend. Elena lifted her head to say something, but Caroline was already gone and the door was closed behind her, at least as much as it could be given that Stefan had busted the lock with his impression of a battering-ram.

Elena ran a hand shakily through her hair and let out a long, slow exhalation of breath.

"I made a mistake." She said quietly to herself, testing it out. "I made a mistake." The second time she said it more firmly and it rang true.

"Now what the hell am I supposed to do about it?"

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**Author's Note: **Hooray for Delena lemons! Okay, I know it was a bit of a tease, but it couldn't be _that_ easy. I promise more Delena juiciness in the near future with less teasing, just hang in there! And as always, please review! Reviews make me happy and a happy author is a fast author! ^^


	5. Unexpected Visitor

**Author's Note: **Okay, so apparently Stefan is a dick in my stories. XD I'll try to make him more well-rounded as the story progresses, just keep in mind that he's losing Elena and bear with me please! A big thank you to my reviewers, particularly Rahveryn, OldVictorianQuill and tukct81 who joined the multi-review club, and lots of love to those of you who favorite/alerted the story. As always The Vampire Diaries belongs to L.J. Smith and whoever she has given rights to over at the CW. No copyright infringement intended, yada yada. On to Chapter 5!

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**Chapter 5: Unexpected Visitor**

Damon awoke to sunlight streaming through the unclosed curtains in a motel room that he didn't remember checking into. His head was throbbing thanks to his overindulgence in alcohol the night before, but far worse was the pain in his chest. He had drank himself into oblivion trying to escape from thoughts of Elena for just a moment and instead she had come to him in his dreams, taunting him with what he could never have. His body still pulsed with the remembered pleasure; even in dreams she affected him as no other woman had. Even now he could feel the damp spot on his jeans where he had spent himself in his sleep. A wet dream; not only was Elena ripping out his heart, she was apparently turning him into an adolescent all over again. He gave a sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to summon the energy to face the day; the first of many days ahead of him without Elena.

He had just about given up on leaving the bed at all when there was a knock on the door.

"Occupado! Do not disturb! We don't want any!" Damon called grumpily, pulling one of the pillows over his face and contemplating whether he could smother himself with it; sadly, not very likely.

"Well then, I guess I'll just make my way back to Mystic Falls and allow you to continue drowning yourself in alcohol and self-pity," an almost lyrical male voice called from outside of the door. Damon contemplated allowing Elijah to do just that, but after a moment's hesitation he sighed and rose from the bed, opening the door and propping himself in the doorway.

"Well, look who it is. Mr. Let's Make a Deal himself. Tell me Elijah, how's this one working out for you?" Damon drawled sarcastically. "Congratulations, by the way. In _one day _you managed not only to get your brother killed, but to kill and turn Elena as well. And let me be the first to compliment you on a _bang up_ job at keeping your siblings in line. _Rebekah and Kole will honor the terms_. _If you return Klaus' body to us, Elena will come to no harm. _Those were your exact words, Elijah, and yet your _psychopath _sister ran off and killed Elena the second she got the chance."

Damon turned away from the door and grabbed an empty bottle, flinging it against the far wall of the room where it struck and shattered into thousands of pieces with a resounding **crash**. "I _told her_ not to listen to you, but _nobody_ listens to Damon and now Elena is a vampire. If your sister had her way she'd be a corpse." He turned back to Elijah, shaking with the force of his anger. "I should kill you both for what you did."

Elijah waited patiently as Damon went on his tirade, riding out the storm. When Damon was done Elijah spoke crisply. "You should, but if you did then you'd take thousands of other vampires down with us. I know you're angry, Damon, and you have every right to be. It was unfortunate what my sister did and I am very disappointed with her, but we cannot change the past, now can we? I come waving the proverbial white flag of peace, so if you'll hear me out…"

"It was _unfortunate_? You act like your sister kicked my puppy. Need I remind you she _murdered _Elena in cold blood? I think that merits more than _unfortunate_. What could you _possibly _have to say that you think I want to hear?" Damon questioned, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the original.

"Niklaus isn't dead." Elijah stated succinctly.

Damon was quiet for a heartbeat, maybe two, before he burst into laughter. Elijah stood there with a deadpan look upon his face, waiting for Damon to process the information so that they could move forward.

"I hate to rain on your parade, Elijah, but your brother is definitely dead. I saw 'Ric drive a stake through his heart with my own eyes; just before my favorite drinking-buddy-turned-psychopath started using me as a human punching bag while your sister took advantage of my chivalry and hightailed it to go kill the woman I love." Damon drawled in a saccharine tone as he searched through empty bottles, hoping to find something to drink. Apparently he'd had quite the party last night, because so far he wasn't having a damned bit of luck.

"And exactly how is it then that you are standing here before me?" Elijah questioned.

Damon started chucking empty bottles into the trash can, the first hitting with a hollow **thunk **while the ones that followed _clinked_ against the glass that was already in the can. "Simple, Elijah. Your brother is a damned dirty liar. He was never the sire of our line; he was only bluffing to save his hide."

Elijah's lips curled upwards into a smirk. "My brother is precisely what you accuse him of being, Damon, but in this he was not a liar. Klaus was the beginning of your bloodline and he lives yet."

Damon rolled his eyes at Elijah, momentarily giving up the effort to find alcohol amongst the myriad of empty bottles.

"Alright…let's say you're right about this. Klaus really _was _the vampire that sired our bloodline and he's not dead. _So what?_ Elena's not a human anymore thanks to your sister, so he can't use her to create his evil little hybrid army. Why do I care that he's alive?"

Elijah paused for a moment and then slowly nodded. "That is a fair question. The answer is this: if Niklaus lives that means that you kept your end of the deal, which in turn means that I must do my best to keep mine. I promised you that Elena would come to no harm. I realize that allowing Elena to be killed by my sister was a grave violation of that agreement."

"Ya' think?" Damon interjected, outraged. Elijah ignored the outburst and continued.

"_However_, in my sister's defense she believed Niklaus dead and our agreement null and void."

Damon rolled his eyes once again. "Well, in that case, all is forgiven. Elena died, but hey, your sister didn't know any better! What are you, five? You're going to have to do better than that if you want back on my Christmas list, Elijah."

Elijah accepted Damon's vitriol with his trademark calm and composure. If anyone had a right to be angry it was Damon. Damon been forced into this agreement and in his mind he had lost Elena because of it. Elijah sympathized with the pain that was clearly written across Damon's face and was more than willing to let the man lash out if that was what he needed.

"Very well then, allow me to sweeten the pot…I promised Elena that I would not revive Niklaus in her or her children's lifetime. Since he is not _dead_ I must assume that he is also not _dessicated_. I tend to rectify that situation. I find myself rather irritated with the way that my brother continues making me into a liar and he really does need some time to learn those _manners_ I spoke of." Elijah's words were as proper and polite as ever, but the crispness in his tone showed his thinly veiled irritation; not with Damon, but with his family; Niklaus especially.

Damon's eyebrow lifted curiously at this revelation. He had to admit, it was somewhat surprising. "Well well well…look who's mad at his brother now. I gotta' hand it to you, Elijah, you've got balls. I've gotten pretty pissed at Stefan a time or two over the years, but I never had the cojones to stick him in a pine box for a couple hundred years…although…if we're sticking to the letter of your agreement, it'd be longer than that, since Elena's lifetime just got _significantly _longer."

Elijah smirked at Damon, clearly amused. "Nice try, but no deal, Damon. If we're sticking to the letter of the agreement you did not _actually _deliver Niklaus' body, so let's just stick to the spirit and call it even, shall we?"

Damon held up his hands in a _no offense _gesture. "Hey, can't blame me for trying."

Elijah pursed his lips slightly. "No, after all that Niklaus has done to you, I suppose I cannot."

Damon gave a small nod. "So, what's your _real _reason for hunting me down, Elijah? I know you didn't come all the way out here to wherever the hell we are just to share the good news that you tend to stick your brother in a box for a while. What's the catch? And while we're at it, just how the hell _did _you find me?"

Elijah smiled at Damon in a predatory fashion. "I've been hunting people a lot longer than you, Damon. Besides, that Camaro of yours isn't exactly inconspicuous, particularly when it's left wrecked off the side of the road. From there it was simple deduction. I found the nearest dive bar and asked the prettiest, dumbest thing in the room where you had gone." He waved his hand dismissively. "To answer the rest of your question…I promised to keep Elena safe. I failed in that, but I have a chance to set it right now. Elena **is **alive. She isn't human, but she is alive. Since I failed so miserably at honoring my bargains in the past, I intend to extend my protection to her for the rest of her life, which at this point is into perpetuity. I am starting that protection by offering you some advice: _go home_. Elena needs you."

Damon gave a derisive snort. "Tell me something I don't know, Elijah. She may need me, but she doesn't want me there. Unlike my baby brother, I'm not a stalker."

Elijah lifted a brow questioningly. "She told you this, Elena? That she didn't want you there?"

Damon paused, trying to think back. "Well, no, but…I have it from a reliable source. Besides, she made her decision when she thought that we were all going to die. She picked Stefan, not me, and I promised baby bro that I'd leave town if she picked him."

"Ah, I see." Elijah stated succinctly.

Unable to resist the bait, Damon spat back at him: "You _see?_ What exactly is it that you see, Elijah?"

Elijah smirked softly, amused by Damon's quarrelsome reply. "More than you realize, Damon. For example…did you know that your brother was the one who let Elena die? He had a choice, save her friend Matt or save her, and he chose to save Matt."

Damon's eyes flared with anger for a moment, but he tamped down on it quickly and hit it behind a stone-faced mask. "Failing to save her and letting her die are two entirely different things, Elijah. It wasn't Stefan's fault."

Elijah nodded softly in agreement. "That is true. But tell me Damon…who would you have saved?"

Damon bit back the urge to lash out at Elijah. "Elena, of course. I would always save her."

"Even if she hated you for it?" Elijah questioned.

"Yes, Elijah, though I fail to see how any of this is relevant." Damon snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"You love Elena, Damon. Nobody with a scrap of common sense has any doubt of the truth in that statement. When you love someone you put them above everyone else, even yourself. Would you not agree with this, Damon?" Elijah questioned.

"Yes. Your point?" Damon asked, pinching the brow of his nose between his thumb and his forefinger. Elijah's circuitous logic was not helping his hangover.

"Why then, did your brother, who also loves Elena, allow her to die rather than save her and take the fault for the boy's death onto himself?" Elijah finished.

Damon paused for a moment, at a loss for words. Why _had _Stefan let Elena die? When Elijah had told him he had immediately jumped to his brother's defense, but in truth…it was unfathomable to him. He was sure Elena had told Stefan to save Matt, but that didn't change anything. Why had Stefan been dumb enough to listen to her? How could he have let Elena die?

Elijah could see the wheels in Damon's head beginning to turn. He knew that his words were beginning to sink in. "Needing someone to love you and actually loving them in return aren't the same thing, Damon. You better than anyone know that. Perhaps Katherine and Stefan have this one thing in common? They always were more compatible, no matter what pretty façade your brother tried to keep…"

Damon shot Elijah a glare. "That's enough, Elijah. My brother isn't perfect, but he isn't Katherine."

Elijah nodded his agreement. "True enough, but he isn't in love with Elena either; he's in love with the idea of who he is when he's with Elena. I think you know that, Damon. The question is: what are you going to do about it?"

Damon pursed his lips softly, falling silent for a moment.

"Well then, I think that my job here is done." Elijah said with a smirk. "But one parting thought: Elena made her choice as a human, did she not, Damon? But we vampires…we are different creatures. Elena has changed. Do you think that her diet is all that will be different now that she has eternity stretching before her?" Elijah lofted a brow curiously, an amused smile playing across his lips. "Eternity is a long time to live without passion, Damon. Think on what I've said."

Elijah disappeared as quickly as he had come, leaving Damon alone in his hotel room. He shut the door behind Elijah and rested his forehead against the wood, letting his eyes slip closed. Damon wanted badly to believe that Elijah was right; that Elena needed him and wanted him by her side; that perhaps she could even love him. But this was Elijah, an original vampire notorious for screwing them over and the last person to be providing insight into Elena's inner workings. And then there was that damned promise he'd made to his brother…

Damon gave a sigh and pushed away from the door, running a hand through his hair and tousling it further. Elijah was right about at least one thing: he had a lot to think about. His mind spinning about like a dog chasing its tail, Damon slipped into the bathroom to take a nice, hot shower and contemplate his next move.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And so ends Chapter 5. I hope that you all liked it and that I wrote Elijah well; out of all the characters on the show I think he's the hardest to write, because he's the hardest to understand. That's what makes him so interesting though! Stay tuned for Chapter 6. If you're lucky I might even get it up (late) tonight! Until then, take care and remember to review!


	6. Sisters by Blood

**Author's Note: **First off, I want to say sorry for any mistakes that slipped through the cracks last chapter! I wanted to put it up before I had to head out for the night and I know I missed a thing or two. Oopsie daisy! Special shout outs go out this chapter to Angelfan984 who's the newest edition to my multi-review club and to AlanaLE for her uber-detailed review and supportive PMs. As always, thank you and lots of love to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted. You support keeps the chapters coming! Sadly your support doesn't make me own TVD, but we'll all just have to deal with that. :-P No copyright infringement intended. Now on to Chapter 6!

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**Chapter 6: Sisters by Blood**

Caroline hit the button to rouse her phone from its sleeping state once again, checking on the time. She had told Elena that they were going to talk, but she didn't want to rush her. It had been fairly early in the morning when the sun had started scalding Elena; they were lucky she had the curtains closed at least part way or they wouldn't have gotten any sleep at all. Regardless, Caroline wanted to give Elena a chance to collect herself and recover from the stress of this morning; hell, the stress of her _life_. It seemed that since her parents had died Elena hadn't gotten a moment's peace, and if there was one thing a newly made vampire needed it was some peace. Too much stress would probably send Elena on a binge and she would never be able to forgive herself. Caroline had yet to even really forgive herself for what she had done when she was turned, though she did her best not to think about it.

Come to think of it, her list of things she wasn't thinking about seemed to be growing…

Death and destruction caused when newly turned?

Don't think about it.

Recently deceased hybrid boyfriend?

_Really _don't think about it.

Also recently deceased hybrid Original who she had totally _not _flirted with?

Definitely **do not think about it.**

Considering just how long her list of things she wasn't thinking about was, Caroline was a little concerned that she wasn't the best person to be giving Elena advice on anything; unfortunately the list of prospective advice-givers had grown incredibly short. The only family Elena had left was Katherine, and that was one vampire that they would _not _be consulting on the matter of the Salvatore brothers.

Caroline hit the button to awaken her phone once again and then gave a growl of frustration. "Jesus Elena, how freaking long…" Caroline's tirade was cut off by the presence of one Elena Gilbert, freshly showered and dressed and giving Caroline a sheepish smile.

"I know. I know…I took too long. I'm sorry; I just…needed to clear my head." Elena said as she moved to sink onto the couch, settling down on the end opposite of the one which Caroline was currently occupying. "I'm here now though. We can talk."

Caroline flipped a strand of perfectly curled blonde hair over her shoulder as she rolled her eyes at Elena. "Well thank you, Princess Elena, for granting us permission to talk." She poked her tongue out at Elena playfully. "Seriously though, Elena…I don't want to push you. I know you have a lot of people weighing in on this whole Stefan-Damon thing and the last thing I want to do is get involved in that mess." Caroline scrunched her nose up in distaste. "But I **do **want to be here for you and after this morning? Well, it definitely looks like you need me." Caroline paused and gave a slightly mischievous smirk. "Or maybe Damon." She wiggled her eyebrows at Elena teasingly and earned a playful shove on her knee from Elena's foot for her trouble. Caroline giggled and in spite of herself Elena cracked a grin.

"I don't know, Caroline, it's just...everything is different now, you know?" Elena said, sobering.

Caroline gave a mirthless laugh and nodded. "Yeah, I know. _Believe me_, I know. You hook up with the wrong guy as a human and at most you're miserable for what? Eighty years? You hook up with the wrong guy as a vampire and he can play creepy-psycho-stalker forever." Caroline made an '_eww' _face. "But you know that's not the case here. I mean, I'm not going to say that either of the Salvatore brothers are perfect. Damon can be a bossy asshole and he drinks like a fish; and Stefan looks all cute and cuddly on the outside, but his self-control is _seriously _lacking and he can be pretty damned self-absorbed at times."

Elena arched an eyebrow curiously towards Caroline as she presented her assessment of the Salvatore brothers. Caroline lifted an eyebrow in return. "What? You thought you were the only one who paid any attention to Damon and Stefan? I don't talk about it much, but they're pretty much my family now. I have my mom for the next forty, sixty years or so if I'm lucky, but eventually she's going to die; and now that Tyler's...well..." Caroline looked down for a moment, trying to regain her composure. She managed to recover quickly and looked back up at Elena with a slightly subdued smile. "The point is, while I may not be interestedin them romantically anymore, I still care about Damon and Stefan. They're sorta' like irritating older brothers, you know? And as their cute and perfect younger sister I can tell you that they're both good choices, but that doesn't mean they're both good choices for _you._"

Elena's lips curved downwards into a frown. She unfolded her arms from their resting spot on her stomach and moved to place her palms against the couch, pushing against it so she could rise. "I think I need a drink..." Elena said as she moved away from the couch.

"Of blood? Or of Damon's bourbon?" Caroline questioned astutely. Elena paused with her hand on the crystal decanter and then gave a soft sigh as she lowered her head.

"I get it, Caroline."

"Do you?" Caroline questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"I do...I just..." She frowned and paused for a moment. She remained quiet while she poured two glasses of bourbon; one for Caroline and one for herself. They were underage, but they were also technically dead, so the police could suck on it. She returned to the couch, offering one of the glasses out to Caroline, who took it silently as Elena returned to her previous position on the couch.

"I just have a lot of questions right now and I'm really confused." Elena frowned and looked down at the amber liquid in her glass as her finger tapped nervously against the edge of the crystal glass that contained it.

Caroline gave Elena a quizzical look, but then slowly nodded. "Alright...so ask."

Elena looked up at Caroline, surprised. Caroline shrugged. "You have a better person to ask right now? I'm pretty sure that Stefan's out nomming on a bunny- if we're _lucky_- and Damon is '_gone_' according to Mr. Cryptic-and-Broody. I hate to break it to you, Elena, but right now I'm about all you've got. Besides, Damon's blood turned me too, so we're practically sisters now." Caroline smiled at this and Elena couldn't help but to smile in return, giving a soft nod.

"I suppose you're right...and I guess you might actually be the best person to ask." Elena took a drink of the bourbon in her glass, gathering her courage. She swallowed the liquid down, closing her eyes and focusing on the sensation of it burning its way down her throat and then settling warmly in her belly. It did help to quell the hunger somewhat; she could see why Damon drank it so often. After a moment Elena's eyelashes lifted again and her chocolate colored eyes came to rest upon Caroline.

"When you were turned, did you ever...dream about Damon?" Elena finally questioned in a meek voice.

Caroline's mouth twitched at the corner as she bit down on the impulse to make a joke. She often joked around and played the bubbly airhead in an effort to keep her friends sane by getting them to lighten up, but she knew that this time Elena was serious and she would probably recoil if Caroline made light of her question. "Did I ever dream about Damon? Well yes, I suppose so...I mean...we did sort of date once and he is _absolutely gorgeous_, but I get the feeling that's not what you mean...so why don't you tell me about whatever it is that has you asking this question."

Elena stayed silent for a long time, her lips set into a thin line. She quietly raised her glass of bourbon to her lips and took another small sip before speaking. "The dream...that I had last night...it just seemed so real..."

Caroline gave Elena a sympathetic smile. "Dreams are like that sometimes. If you're thinking that Damon was actually here though...I'm sorry Elena, but he wasn't. Stefan and I would have known if he was."

Elena shook her head softly. "No, no...that's not it." She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's just...some of the things he said...in the dream." She frowned at Caroline. "He told me that I get angry at him because he makes the decisions that I'm too scared to make for myself; and that I'd rather be miserable and be with Stefan than to ruin everyone's perception of me because I feel like I have to be perfect to be worth dying for."

Caroline frowned at this admission. "Oh, Elena..." Her blue eyes came to rest on Elena's face and she scooted closer to Elena on the couch so that she could take one of her friend's hands into her own. "I never thought about it that way, but...I think he's right."

This time it was Elena's turn to frown. Before she could say anything though, Caroline cut her off. "Hear me out, Elena. I'm not saying that this dream you had about Damon was real, because I'm not certain it was, but that doesn't make it any less valid. Dreams are how we work through things we can't deal with when we're awake. Damon has always been the one looking out for you while you're awake, so it makes sense he'd be the one looking out for you in your dreams too."

At this, Elena's frown deepened. "Stefan looks out for me too."

Caroline paused for a moment, considering how to respond to this statement. "Sometimes, yes, but...Elena, is he really always looking out for you? I mean...he let you die last night. I know that he did it save Matt like you told him to, but that doesn't change the facts. If that was Damon...do you think for an instant that he would have saved Matt first, right or wrong?"

Elena shook her head softly. "No, I suppose not..."

Caroline gave her a small smile. "Face it, Elena. Stefan may love you, but Damon is devoted to you. Your needs are his number one priority. If he's telling you something, maybe you should listen."

Elena's frown was practically a scowl now. Caroline was right and she hated it. She took another drink of bourbon as she tried to keep from getting snarky with Caroline. When Elena thought it was safe she spoke again.

"There was something else though Caroline...he said..." She paused for a moment, her eyebrows knitting together in concentration as she tried to remember the exact words. "He said that he couldn't live without me. And then he said..._I know I promised him, but I can't_." Elena's lips pursed softly. "The first part, I get. It makes sense that Damon would say that if it was really just a dream, but the promise part? Why would I dream that? Promised who? And promised what? It just doesn't make sense, Caroline..."

Caroline's face shifted through emotions almost too quickly for Elena to promise. There was surprise, then concern, anger, and finally resolve.

"I don't know, Elena. But I do have an idea...Before I say anything though, I want to check on some things. Will you be okay here alone? It's daylight still, so I know the human population is safe from you until Bonnie gets that ring done for you, but Stefan could come back..."

Elena gave Caroline a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, Caroline. I can deal with Stefan. I made my bed, I've got to lie in it, right?" Elena gave a soft sigh.

Caroline grimaced and squeezed Elena's hand gently in her own. "Yeah, I suppose you do. I'm sorry, Elena. But you've gotten through worse. I'm sure you can handle a sulky Stefan. He'll probably just go be emo in his room anyway."

Elena couldn't help but to laugh at the image. She loved Stefan, but looking at him through a more neutral lens...Stefan really was very much like a teenager who had never grown up. "Probably." Elena confessed, squeezing Caroline's hand in return. "Get going. I'll hold down the fort. Not like I have much choice in the matter..."

This time it was Caroline's turn to laugh. "Don't worry. Bonnie should have your ring done by tonight. You'll be flitting around in the daylight with the rest of us soon. Until then, you really _should _try to eat. There are blood bags in the cooler in the basement. Just pour 'em in a glass, stick 'em in the microwave for forty-five seconds and you're good to go."

Elena chuckled and nodded. "Thanks, Care."

"Anytime, Elena. You know I've always got your back. I'll be back soon."

And then, in typical vampire fashion, Caroline disappeared from the boarding house faster than the human eye could see, leaving Elena alone with Damon's bourbon and her own thoughts.

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**Author's Note: **And that's Chapter 6. Sorry I couldn't get it up yesterday, but I hope it was worth the wait! As always, please review! ^^ Reviews keep the author happy and writing. Also, I do hope to get up another chapter today, so hopefully that will make up for yesterday! Until then, much love to all of you readers.


	7. Last Man Standing

**Author's Note: **So for all of you that checked my profile page and found a sad, empty page, I updated it now! Aren't you proud of me? XP Here we are at magical Chapter 7. Time for a wedding! Oh wait, that's Season 7. Carry on. :-P No wedding yet, sorry guys. Alas, I still don't own The Vampire Diaries. Q_Q No copyright infringement is intended. Thanks so much to all of you who have read, reviewed, favorited and alerted. You deserve much love. Keep it coming and I will keep getting chapters out to you!

In a story related note, it has been pointed out to me that Caroline is usually very Team Stefan in the show. To those of you that pointed this out; I've done my best to explain my logic behind the shift. To those of you who noticed and didn't say anything, you'll just have to wait until Chapter 8; I'll try to sneak a little bit of an explanation in there. That being said…onwards to Chapter 7!

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**Chapter 7: Last Man Standing**

With Elena gone the Gilbert household should have been quiet and devoid of life other than the sole living Gilbert heir: Jeremy Gilbert. It _was _devoid of life; however, it was not quiet.

"You have _got _to be kidding me." Rose barked; irritation was clear in her voice. "Tell him what an idiot he's being!" Rose appealed to the other specter in the room, Alaric, who was currently draped lazily along the length of the couch while Jeremy paced the room with Rose stalking after him. Rose and Jeremy had been at this for quite some time; ever since Rose had gone to check on Damon and found him drunk as a skunk in some no-name-motel in a town about three hours outside of Mystic Falls.

"Nope, I'm not getting involved." Alaric replied briefly.

"Thank you, Alaric." Jeremy said in a relieved voice; it was bad enough having one ghost riding his ass about all of this.

"Not getting involved? You're his guardian! Getting involved is in your job description." Rose said almost simultaneously.

Alaric looked slightly amused. "His _dead_ guardian. Besides, who says that I agree with you?"

Rose rolled her eyes at Alaric. "Everyone with an IQ score over seventy agrees with me. You seem to be of at least average intelligence, so I assume you must agree with me. Your charge, on the other hand..." Rose eyed Jeremy pointedly.

"Hey! Enough with the insulting of my intelligence, okay?" Jeremy held up his hands in a _settle down _sort of motion. "My sister was just killed and turned into a vampire. Is it so wrong that I want to let her have a break from the Stefan and Damon drama for a while?"

"Yes!" Rose cried at the same moment that Alaric said: "No," earning him a withering glare from Rose.

Alaric let out a sigh of exasperation as he uncrossed his legs and pulled his hands from behind his head, rolling off of the couch.

"Look, I don't think that anybody here disagrees with the idea that Elena could use a break from the Stefan and Damon love triangle..."

Rose shot Alaric a look that seemed to say _you're on thin ice, buddy_. Alaric looked back at her, trying to telegraph _bear with me _with his eyes. "But..." He added.

"But?" Jeremy questioned.

"But Elena is a vampire now, Jeremy, and no matter what you might think about Damon and her being romantically involved, she needs him here to support her."

Rose looked momentarily appeased, if not particularly happy; at least until Jeremy opened his mouth.

"She has Stefan here to help her." He argued petulantly.

Rose threw her hands up in exasperation. "Oh for the love of...You're kidding me, right? He's messing with me right now. Tell me he's not serious, Alaric."

Alaric shot Rose a glare. "You're not helping."

Rose snapped back in reply. "Well somebody has to say something, because clearly _you're_ not going to."

"Going to say what?" Jeremy questioned, his eyes flickering between the two ghosts.

"Yes Alaric, _say what?_" Rose replied crisply. Alaric leveled another glare at Rose. He hadn't really known her when she was alive, but she was a total pain in the ass dead. He could tell why Damon had liked her.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on here?" Jeremy asked, growing frustrated.

Alaric sighed and ran a hand through his already mussed hair. "Fine, you want me to tell him? I'll tell him." Alaric leveled his gaze on Jeremy. "You know that Stefan was gone this summer?"

"Yeah." Jeremy replied matter-of-factly.

"And you know it wasn't just for some road trip?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes, an action that was mirrored by Rose as she slumped down into a nearby chair with an exaggerated sigh. "Care to cut to the chase, Alaric? We may not be getting any older, but he is."

Alaric shot Rose a glare. "Would you like to do this?"

Rose lifted her eyebrows and gave a small smile. "Well actually…"

Alaric waved her off. "Fine, point taken. I'll cut to the chase. Stefan wasn't just taking a break or getting some space, he was out on a killing spree with Klaus."

Jeremy frowned a bit, but nodded. "I suspected as much. Damon and Elena wouldn't talk about it around me, but I got enough bits and pieces to put it together. He was under Klaus' control though, right? It's not like he had a choice."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh here we go…"

This time it was Jeremy who shot her a glare. Rose looked nonplussed.

"That's true." Alaric replied. "But it wasn't the first time, Jeremy. Why do you think Klaus wanted Stefan to go with him in the first place? They used to be friends. Stefan is infamous for the viciousness of his kills. It's why Klaus wanted him and not Damon."

Jeremy was taken aback for a moment, surprised by the revelation. "Well that's…disturbing, but I don't see how it changes anything. Damon has killed people too."

Rose gave an exasperated sigh. "Exactly how long are you going to let this go on, Alaric?" She held up a hand to stop him from saying anything. She was tired of listening to Alaric pussyfooting around the truth. She knew he was trying to spare the boy, but in this case she felt Jeremy both deserved and needed the truth; the raw, uncensored truth.

"The people that Damon has killed are like a drop in the bucket compared to those that Stefan has killed and there is _nothing _that he has ever done that can compare to the viciousness that Stefan has displayed. I'm not trying to argue that Stefan is a bad person, because he isn't; nor am I going to sit here and debate the merits of Damon dating Elena rather than Stefan. What I _am _going to tell you is this: Having Stefan try to teach Elena how to be a vampire is like having a recovering alcoholic teach you how to drink in moderation.

Damon is the vampire equivalent of a social drinker; he drinks fairly often, but he does so in moderation. Occasionally when he has a rough day he'll have too much to drink and he'll regret it in the morning. Stefan, on the other hand, is an alcoholic. When he's on the wagon he's bone dry, because he has to be; but when he's off the wagon, well…you get the point." Rose shook her head. "We can talk about who Elena should be with later, but right now she needs Damon here with her. It's not like I'm asking you to go hunt him down yourself. I just want you to pass along his whereabouts. One itty, bitty phone call; is that really so much to ask?"

Jeremy frowned and then looked to Alaric. "Alaric?" He called, clearly wanting his former guardian's input.

Alaric remained silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Look, Jeremy, you're old enough to start making your own decisions. If you're asking my advice though I think that what Rose wants is fair. The decision is really going to be up to Elena in the end, you're just telling her where he can be found if she wants to go find him. Besides…you and Matt already tried to make her decision for her and look where that got you."

Jeremy's face flickered with hurt at the reminder. If he and Matt hadn't drugged Elena and tried to get her out of town she never would have been on that bridge and they wouldn't be having this conversation.

Rose's voice cut through Jeremy's mental chastisement of himself. "He didn't mean it like that." Rose said with surprising gentleness. "Don't beat yourself up over the way things turned out, Jeremy. There was no way you could have known and nothing you could have done to prevent it."

Alaric nodded. His words had been careless and the thought that he had inadvertently hurt Jeremy had him looking a little distraught. It seemed that even as a ghost he still sucked at this guardian thing. "She's right, Jeremy. I didn't mean that you're responsible for what happened to Elena, I just meant that she obviously wasn't happy that you tried to take that decision away from her; just like you weren't happy when you found out she had Damon take away your memories of Vickie."

Jeremy gave a brief nod, swallowing past the lump in his throat. Once he felt he could speak again he said: "I'll think about it."

Alaric nodded. Rose gave Jeremy an assessing look, as if he was a puzzle she was trying to solve.

"I need some time to myself, alright?" Jeremy turned and headed up to his room.

Rose disappeared from sight without a word. Alaric, assuming she had left, stayed where he was.

* * *

Jeremy wasn't in the least bit surprised when he got to his room and found Rose waiting for him on his bed. He rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him, more out of habit than anything. It wasn't as if there were any corporeal beings for the door to keep out.

"I thought I made it pretty clear that I needed some time to myself, Rose. I told you that I would think about it."

Rose nodded softly. "You did. What you didn't make clear is exactly why you have a problem with this in the first place."

Jeremy gave Rose a skeptical look, a small frown creasing his lips. "Maybe I just don't like Damon."

Rose rolled her eyes. "And maybe I'm Santa Clause. Come on, Jeremy. I saw the way that you acted around him and your sister. You like Damon just fine; it's the idea of Damon and Elena together that you have a problem with."

"Alright…fine. I don't want him to hurt Elena."

Rose canted her head to the side and lifted her eyebrows curiously, simply waiting for him to revise his story.

Jeremy sighed and sat on the bed beside Rose. "Okay…I admit it…I like Damon. He scares me some times, but I really think he is a good guy when it comes down to it. He's tough, but fair…you know? He gets a bad reputation because he's always doing the dirty work, but he does it because he really loves Elena." Jeremy ran a hand through his hair, pushing the dark brown strands that so resembled his sister's away from his face.

"And?" Rose prompted, waited for Jeremy to continue.

"And…Elena is different when she's around him."

Rose nodded and waited silently for him to continue.

"She's not…bad different. I mean really, I think she's better around him. I thought about what you said and you're right; he stands up to her, makes her think about what she's doing and why. Bonnie thinks Stefan is better for Elena because he respects her decisions, but I get the feeling that really Stefan just doesn't want to argue with Elena. He lets Damon play the bad guy and he always comes out looking clean."

Rose peered at Jeremy curiously, somewhat surprised by this insight. The younger Gilbert seemed to be growing up. "So…what's the problem?" Rose asked.

Jeremy frowned. "The problem is that Elena loves Damon; _really _loves him. I know she says she loves Stefan, but when the two of them are together…it's like it was with her and Matt; puppy love, nothing earth shattering. With Elena and Damon though…" Jeremy paused, searching for the words. "It's epic. It's the type of love that they write about in books; like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. They fight and yell and sometimes hate each other, but at the end of the day they're a perfect match. They're not even together yet and at times their love for each is overwhelming; if they hook up, how much worse is it going to be then? Where am I supposed to fit into that picture? Elena is all I have left…"

Rose found herself moved by Jeremy's words. His insight was so mature, but at the end of the day he was still just a little boy who had lost almost everyone important in his life and now was afraid that he was going to lose his sister too.

"Jeremy…if there's one thing Damon knows it's the importance of little brothers." Rose gave him a reassuring smile. "Do you really think that after sticking by his own _extremely irritating _little brother for over a century that Damon would cut you out of Elena's life? Or that Elena, as headstrong and stubborn as she is, would let him take her away from you?"

Jeremy chuckled a bit dryly. "I guess…when you say it like that…it does sound a bit stupid."

Rose gave him a small smile and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, sighing as her fingers simply slipped through him and then placing her hand back in her own lap. "I don't think it's stupid at all, Jeremy. You're still just a kid. Cut yourself some slack. That being said though…being a kid doesn't mean that you're not capable of making your own decisions or responsible for the effects of the decisions that you make. You can think about whether or not to tell Elena where Damon is for a bit, but don't linger on the decision for too long. You might not like the consequences."

Jeremy gave Rose a brief nod. "I won't." He promised her.

Rose nodded and stood from Jeremy's bed, preparing to depart.

"Hey Rose!" Jeremy called, trying to catch her before she left.

"Hmm?" Rose replied, turning back to look at him.

"Thanks. You know…for listening…and busting my balls. I won't say it was fun, but I needed it."

Rose flashed Jeremy a smile. "Oh, I know. I've dealt with tough cases before." She tossed him a wink. "You're welcome."

One minute Rose was standing there and the next she was gone. Jeremy sighed and fell back down onto his bed, staring at the ceiling as he tried to decide where to go from here.

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**Author's Note: **That's the end of Chapter 7, folks. I apologize if it's slightly AU, I can't honestly recall whether Jeremy has ever been specifically told about Stefan's history as a Ripper or not. If so…well tough cookies! XP If not, then I guess we're all good. Hope you enjoyed it either way and as always, reviews are appreciated!


	8. Information & Explanations

**Author's Note: **Almost at 50 reviews! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed already including Izel-Power and stephers6 who joined the multi-review club this go around. Also special thanks to my PM buddies AlanaLE, Noelani618, Rahveryn, tuckt81, Izel-Power and Melissa Williams de Salvatore for their extra support. You guys rock. :D That being said, if you haven't reviewed yet (especially you peeps who have favorited and alerted but haven't reviewed, naughty naughty!) please submit one and help me break the 50 review cap! It will make me a happy author. ^^ Even if you don't review though, thanks for reading! Just seeing the stats page makes my day. Oh, and in a related note, if you tried to review before and couldn't because you don't have an account, I turned on the option to allow non-members to review (they have these things, who knew?) so if that's what you're waiting for, wait no longer! Now, onto Chapter 8.

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**Chapter 8: Information & Explanations**

Caroline pulled her little black Fiesta into the long, circular driveway of the Mikaelson mansion and slid it into park before shutting off the engine. The Mikaelson residence was **so **not where she wanted to be, but she needed answers and she figured if there was anyone who would have the answers she was looking for it would be one of the originals. Plus, Elijah owed them for breaking the deal with Elena, right?

"Excellent plan, Caroline. Go to the deal-breaking original vampire whose sister just killed your best friend and tell him that he owes you. How could that _possibly_ go wrong?" Caroline chirped to herself in a saccharine voice. In spite of her words she climbed out of her car and shut the door behind her before approaching the front door of the mansion. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly before knocking resolutely on the door.

Unfortunately for Caroline it was not Elijah who opened the door, but a certain blonde-haired, green-eyed bitch. A flurry of emotions played across Caroline's face: shock initially, followed by anger before she finally plastered on the biggest, fake smile that she could manage. As much as she would love to stake Rebekah for what she had done to Elena, she needed Elijah's help and going around trying to kill his sister probably wasn't the best way to go about it.

"Caroline...what exactly are _you_ doing here?" Rebekah asked cattily.

Caroline's plastered on smile faltered, but only for a second. "I'm looking for your brother, actually. Is he in?"

Rebekah's lips curled into a frown before she gave a low snarl. "My _brother_ is dead thanks to you and your friends."

Caroline drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, struggling to keep from throttling Rebekah. "And my best friend is undead thanks to you, so let's call it even, okay? I'm looking for Elijah. Have you seen him?"

Rebekah's lips pursed sulkily. "Elijah's not in right now, sorry."

Rebekah moved to shut the door in Caroline's face. Caroline had about had it with the original's juvenile behavior. Caroline threw out her hand, slamming it against the door and thwarting Rebekah's attempts to close it on her. Rebekah's eyes flickered with genuine surprise that was quickly replaced with anger.

"How dare you?" Rebekah snapped at Caroline.

"How dare I? Listen here, you spoiled little-"

"Caroline, what a pleasant surprise." A smooth voice interrupted from behind Caroline. Elijah stood at the bottom of the steps, a bemused smirk lingering upon his lips. "Rebekah, if you would be so kind as to let Caroline inside I believe she would be much more amiable. After all, this is no way to treat a guest."

Rebekah shot Elijah a glare and then tossed open the door before storming away in a huff. Elijah handled it all with his usual grace and aplomb. He smiled at Caroline as he ascended the stairs. Once he was close enough he extended his hand in a gentlemanly gesture.

"My apologies. I'm afraid that an insufferable lack of manners appears to be a family trait." Elijah said as Caroline placed her hand in his, allowing herself to be led inside. Elijah shut the front door behind them and then escorted Caroline to the living room before releasing custody of her hand. "Please, have a seat. Make yourself at home. Is there anything that I can get for you?"

Caroline shook her head softly, her blonde curls bouncing with the motion of her head. "No, thank you."

Elijah nodded and then folded himself into one of the vacant chairs across from Caroline so he could look at her while they conversed. "Well then, Caroline, why don't you start by telling me what it is that has brought you to my family's home?"

Caroline gave a brief nod and paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "Alright then...I need information. I was hoping that you could provide it for me."

Elijah smirked softly. "Information? On a particular topic, I assume?"

Caroline nodded affirmatively. "Vampires. More specifically, vampires and dreams."

Elijah arched an eyebrow curiously. "That's still a rather broad topic. Perhaps you could explain what it is that has you curious about vampires and our dreams?"

Caroline frowned, considering how much information to reveal to the original.

"A friend of mine-" Caroline began.

"A friend of yours-you, or a friend of yours-Elena?" Elijah interrupted. A small smile played across his lips. "You don't need to be so secretive, Caroline. I have given my word that I will protect Elena. I will not allow her to come to harm."

Caroline gave him a skeptical look. "You'll excuse me if I don't exactly trust your word, seeing as you've given and broken it twice already."

Elijah nodded. "Point taken. As you will, but for what it's worth I didn't mean for Elena to come to harm this time and I am truly distressed that Rebekah disobeyed me and turned me into a liar once more. Elena's death was not intentional, at least not on my part."

Caroline nodded, but her wariness remained. After a moment she cleared her throat and began again. "_Elena_ had a dream. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that in this dream there was...information...that she could not possibly know. I want to know if it's possible for vampires to communicate through dreams."

Elijah paused for a moment, considering the question After a minute or two he formulated a reply and began to speak. "It is _possible _for a sire and a childe to share dreams, but it is rare. The bond between the two must be exceptionally strong, not just in blood, but in emotions as well; and the sire must be of sufficient age and power to support such a connection. Even then, it is exceedingly difficult. Most often in order for such a connection to exist the childe must have some power of their own; for example, some latent psychic ability that was dormant when the childe was human."

Elijah paused. "Elena is the Petrova doppelganger, which is mystical in and of itself; and from what I understand of her family's history there have been some..._curious_ individuals on both sides; nothing exceptional enough to draw too much attention, but perhaps enough to make such a connection possible. Damon is not exceptionally old; however, he is powerful and the bond between them...well..." Elijah smirked and held out his hands to indicate that no words were necessary. "So if you're asking me if I it is possible that Damon was communicating with Elena in her dreams I suppose the answer is yes."

Caroline nodded softly, a small frown creasing her lips. "Thank you. You've been very helpful, Elijah."

Elijah nodded and gave Caroline a slightly strained smile. "After breaking my bond twice, it is the least I could do, Caroline."

Caroline returned his smile and nodded in reply. She pushed herself off of the couch. Elijah rose to join her, but Caroline gestured for him to sit back down. "Please, you don't have to see me out. I appreciate the gesture, but it's not necessary."

Elijah gave a brief nod. "Very well, as you wish. Oh...and Caroline?"

Caroline turned to look at Elijah over her shoulder. "Hmm?"

"I am sorry about your friend, Tyler."

Caroline gave Elijah a slightly strained smile. Pain was evident in her eyes. "Thank you, Elijah. I'm sorry about Klaus."

Elijah's lips pursed softly. "It seems that reports of my brother's death have been greatly exaggerated."

Caroline blinked, taken aback by this statement. "What?" She asked in a voice numbed by shock.

From around the corner came the voice of another female vampire, Rebekah. It seemed that she had gotten over her sulking. "What are you talking about, Elijah? I saw him staked with my own two eyes."

Elijah rolled his shoulders into a shrug. "Be that as it may...his progeny live yet. With the exception of the hybrid Tyler, not one vampire from Klaus' line is dead. I have checked with those I know." Elijah shot Rebekah a glare. "It seems your _vengeance _was a bit premature, sister."

Rebekah physically recoiled from Elijah's rebuke. Hurt was clearly written all over her face; perhaps even a bit of remorse was evident as well.

Caroline just stood there for a moment as she tried to process Elijah's words. Finally she managed to shake off her shock. She shifted her gaze to Elijah once more. "Then why...?"

"Is your friend Tyler dead? I do not know. Has anyone actually seen the body?" Elijah questioned.

Caroline thought about it for a moment and then shook her head. "No. He made me leave before he...he..." She swallowed past the lump in her throat.

Elijah nodded. "Well then, perhaps that is the place to begin our search. Your friend may yet live."

Caroline's eyes lit with hope for a moment, a few tears welling within them. "Perhaps. Thank you Elijah. This is wonderful news."

Elijah's lips pressed into a thin line. Clearly he was slightly more skeptical about whether this was, in fact, good news. "Well...I'm glad to be able to deliver glad tidings for a change." He replied, though his voice lacked the enthusiasm that the statement required.

Caroline didn't seem to notice. "I'll check on it as soon as I can. Let me know what you learn about Klaus, if you don't mind."

"Of course." Elijah replied smoothly.

Caroline turned and walked out of the Mikaelson mansion. She was just about to climb into her car when Rebekah appeared in front of the door, blocking her from doing so.

"Rebekah, what is this-"

Rebekah cut her off. "Don't worry, I'm not here to pick a fight."

Caroline arched an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, but after a moment's hesitation she leaned back and crossed her arms beneath her breasts.

"Alright then...what _do _you want?" Caroline questioned as she cocked her head to the side curiously.

Rebekah gave Caroline an assessing look before speaking. "I overheard what you and Elijah were talking about."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You were eavesdropping, _shocking_." Caroline quipped sarcastically.

Rebekah looked mildly offended, but she carried on. "I thought you hated Damon? Why are you suddenly trying to help him?"

Caroline pursed her lips softly and drew her eyebrows together, considering whether or not to answer Rebekah's question and if so, how. After a moment's hesitation she spoke. "I did hate Damon, once, but...I got over it. He treated me poorly, yes, but that's just...Damon. He's damaged and when he's hurt he lashes out. I got caught in the crossfire." She shrugged her shoulders softly. "He has tried to make up for it since. He spared my mom's life even after she tried to kill him, did his best to convince her to make amends with me...he's not as bad as everyone tries to make him out to be." She paused for a beat. "As for why I'm trying to help him, it's fairly simple: he loves Elena and she loves him. They're meant for each other."

Rebekah gave Caroline a skeptical look. "Damon has loved Elena for quite some time. Why are they suddenly meant for each other now when only weeks ago you were gung-ho about getting Elena back together with Stefan?"

Caroline frowned, really not liking this line of questioning. She didn't see the harm in it though, so she answered. "Simple. Elena wasn't a vampire then, now she is."

"And?" Rebekah questioned.

Caroline rolled her eyes. Did she really have to spell this out for her? Shouldn't Rebekah be a little more quick on the uptake after all these years?

"_And _that changes things. Elena didn't want to be a vampire. When she was with Stefan it was easy for her to stay human. He didn't ever push her or question her decisions. If she had gotten together with Damon it would only have been a matter of time before he started pushing for her to become a vampire so they could stay together forever. She might have held out at first, but eventually she would have said yes because she loves him. Stefan was the safer choice. Now that she's a vampire though...well...moot point." Caroline shrugged her shoulders softly. "Now...my turn. Why do you care so much whether I'm Team Stefan or Team Damon?"

This time it was Rebekah's turn to frown. She didn't like that the tables were turned and she was now on the receiving end of the interrogation, but Caroline had answered her questions, so the least she could do was give Caroline an answer in return.

"Because I loved Stefan once and I want him to be happy. I just...wanted to know what had changed." Rebekah replied quietly.

Caroline gave her an assessing look and then nodded. "I see."

Rebekah nodded and then moved away from Caroline's car door. Caroline unlocked the car and opened the door, but before she slid into the car she called out to Rebekah.

"Hey Rebekah..."

Rebekah turned and lifted a brow questioningly towards Caroline.

"Stefan saved Matt, not Elena...if that helps."

Rebekah's lips curled into a smirk. "You're smarter than you look, Caroline."

Caroline's eyebrows knitted together in a perplexed look even as her lips curved into a smirk. "Thanks...I think."

Rebekah inclined her head towards Caroline in a gesture of respect and then headed back up the stairs and inside of her home. Once Rebekah was gone from sight Caroline slid behind the wheel of the Fiesta and started the car once more. She had her answers from Elijah, now it was time to find out exactly what it was that Stefan had done.

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**Author's Note: **And that my dears is Chapter 8. Hopefully that cleared some things up for those of you who were questioning Caroline's sudden change of heart. :-P I'm going to do my best to get two chapters out again today. Reviews make the writing go faster, so if you want more, review! :D


	9. Memory Lane

**Author's Note: **Yay! We passed the fifty review mark; thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and helped us to get there! You're all awesome! Special thanks this chapter to Niky89, who went through the trouble of writing a review in a second language (you're epic, by the way, I totally couldn't do that), and to Nikki, my other unregistered reviewer. Sadly I can't PM you to reply to your reviews, but I love ya' guys anyway.

Regrettably I don't own TVD, because you know Season 4 would be epic if I did. :-P No copyright infringement intended, now onto the chapter!

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**Chapter 9: Memory Lane**

Elena was in the cemetery, sitting next to her parents' grave with her diary sitting upon her lap. Suddenly a fog rolled in, seemingly from out of nowhere. Elena looked around the cemetery, taken aback by the eerie and uncanny fog. A crow landed upon a nearby headstone and gave a loud and resounding **caw**. The sound made Elena jump and set her heart to pounding in her chest. It was just a bird, she reassured herself, but the way it looked at her with its beady little black eye…

The bird flew away in a flurry of motion and feathers, startling Elena again. She closed her diary abruptly and moved to put it in her bag, intending on leaving the cemetery. Why did she think that it was a good idea to come here and write? Sure, she felt close to her parents here, but this was hardly the appropriate place for loitering. Who knew what sort of crazy people could be lingering in the cemetery?

Elena grasped her satchel and was just about to stand when she caught a shadow in the fog. She gasped and scrambled backwards, pulling her bag with her. She knew it was a futile gesture; the shadow would be on her before she even had a chance to stand, but that didn't keep her from trying to escape. She scooted backwards until she ran into another tombstone. She sucked in a sharp breath and turned to look at what she had run into, but it was too late. The shadow was moving forward…

The shadow stepped from out of the fog, revealing the form of a tall, imposing man with hair as dark as the raven's feathers and eyes the blue of glacial ice. His eyes weren't cold though; they burned, or perhaps they were so cold that they burned. Elena wasn't quite sure; all that she was sure of at the moment was that he was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.

"Damon…" The name slipped from her lips. Part of her mind knew that she shouldn't be privy to this information, but as in most dreams the inconsistencies were quickly forgotten.

Damon crouched in front of her, his ice blue eyes meeting her chocolate colored ones. They stayed that way for a moment, neither daring to breathe, before Damon finally reached out and gently grasped Elena's chin, allowing his thumb to feather along her cheek and jaw in a gentle caress. His touch seared Elena to her core and she found herself sucking in a sharp gasp of air, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Elena." His voice was smooth and rich. It felt like she was being wrapped in a warm blanket, or perhaps like she was falling into his eyes. Falling…falling…

"Elena, the only person keeping you from remembering anymore is you." The man's voice followed her, but she was falling down…down…

There was a phone in her hand. A part of her was confused and then suddenly she was snapped out of her body. Elena gave a gasp as suddenly she was watching herself. She was talking on the phone. She couldn't hear clearly at first, but as soon as she thought about it the conversation came into focus.

"…you're right. You and my mom both are, I just can't bring myself to tell him…at least not tonight. I'll call you later."

It was the night of her parents' death. She recognized it instantly. She had gone to a party with Matt. When she got into a fight with him she had been forced to call her parents to pick her up. They were on the way home when they had the accident and her parents had died.

"Katherine." A familiar voice breathed from behind her. She watched as the younger version of her went wide eyed with surprise. She remembered every detail of this night, but this…this she didn't recall. Perplexed, she turned to see who had called her by Katherine's name, but as soon as she started to move the scene shifted.

The road that she had been standing on disappeared and before she could even blink she was back in her room. Damon was sitting on her window seat, holding something in his hands.

"Cute PJ's."

"I'm tired, Damon." She said, though she didn't know why.

Damon rose from her window seat and lifted what he had been holding for her to see. "Brought you this."

Elena gasped with surprise. "I thought that was gone."

Damon shook his head no.

"Thank you." Elena said in a voice that was breathy with relief as she reached out to take the necklace from Damon. Before she could grasp the necklace he pulled it back out of reach.

"Please give it back." She heard herself saying.

"I just have to say something." Damon replied, stepping closer. Without even consciously deciding to do so Elena took a step back, retreating away from him.

"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" Distantly she observed that her voice sounded nervous, but there was nothing she could do to control it. She was an observer, powerless to control her own actions.

"Because what I'm about to say is…probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life." Damon struggled to get out the words.

"Damon, don't go there." She pleaded with him.

"I just have to say it once…you just need to hear it." Damon said, moving closer again. "I love you, Elena." He paused for a long moment. "And it's because I love you that…I can't be selfish with you…and why you can't know this." His voice went hoarse, strained with emotion. "I don't deserve you, but my brother does." He placed a tender kiss to her forehead. "God I wish you didn't have to forget this…" Damon's hand stroked her cheek lovingly. Elena struggled to say something to stop him, but she was powerless to do so. "But you do."

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Elena awoke with a gasp, the intensity in Damon's blue eyes still burned into her brain. She had dozed off on the couch in the Salvatore boarding house. Apparently it had been quite some time ago, because she could hear the crickets and other nocturnal animals stirring outside. She rubbed a hand over her face, trying to clear the sleep from her eyes. After a moment she pushed herself off of the couch and padded into the kitchen, checking the clock on the microwave. The blue digital numbers read 7:45; just a few minutes until sunset.

Elena started turning on some of the lights in the house. Even though it was still light outside with the curtains drawn for her protection it was quite dark inside the house, even for her new and improved vampire eyes. She reluctantly padded down to the basement to retrieve her dinner. Blood…it was going to take some getting used to. That wasn't her primary concern at the moment though. Her dream was already fading, but bits and pieces of it were burned into her mind. This time it hadn't felt real. It had clearly been a dream, but that didn't diminish its importance.

The last part had been a memory. Of this she was certain. Damon had told her he loved her and then compelled her to forget. Was that what all of this was? Memories that she had been compelled to forget? Damon had told her in the dream that the only person keeping her from remembering anymore was her. The compulsion itself was gone now that she was a vampire, but her mind had seemingly buried the memories for her protection. She could remember his confession of love clearly now, but what about the other memory; the one from the night her parents had died?

Elena frowned as she grabbed a couple of bags of blood from the cooler. She took them upstairs and cut them open, pouring them into glasses and putting them into the microwave to warm as Caroline had instructed her. Where _was _Caroline? Shouldn't she be back by now?

Elena contemplated what to do about the missing pieces of her memory as she drank her evening meal and waited for the sun to set. When the sun finally did slip below the horizon, Elena was surprised that she could actually _feel _it. It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders that she didn't realize she was carrying. She finished off what remained of the blood and then rinsed out the glasses before placing them into the dishwasher. Once that task was completed she stepped into the bathroom to make sure that everything was in place. When she was sure that there was no blood clinging to her lips or her teeth and that her hair wasn't an absolute mess, Elena slid into the shoes that Caroline had retrieved for her earlier this morning. After a moment's hesitation, Elena slipped out of the house.

Elena was disappointed to find that her car was not there, but after thinking about it she realized that she was probably able to move faster than a car by now anyway. Deciding to test it out, she moved with vampiric speed towards the location that she remembered: the lonely stretch of highway off of which the party had taken place that fateful night. It took her a few stops and starts and more than one unfortunate encounter with a tree to get the hang of things, but in due time she arrived at the place that she recalled in her memory.

The road was quiet tonight. There were no parties, no teenagers, not even any cars. It was just Elena and a long expanse of asphalt with trees on either side. Not knowing why, Elena moved to lie in the road, staring up at the stars. When that became uncomfortable she pushed herself to her feet and started pacing back and forth.

"Come on brain, work." Elena cursed at herself. After a moment of futile pacing she paused for a moment, drawing in a deep breath and trying to center herself. "Okay…let's think about this." She headed over to where she had been when the memory began and then turned back, facing the road. As an afterthought she reached to pull her phone from her pocket, only to realize that it was missing. Well of course…she had her phone with her when she had drowned; it was a useless piece of plastic at this juncture.

"That's okay, we can work with this." She reassured herself. "Now…let's see…"

She walked forward a few steps, trying to recall the conversation she'd been having in her memory.

"Bonnie," she said, summoning her friend's face to her mind. "I said…" She paused, trying to remember the words.

"_I know Bonnie, you're right. You and my mom both are. I just can't bring myself to tell him…at least not tonight. I'll call you later."_

She had hung up the phone then, looking down at it, and when she had looked back up…

"_Katherine._"

"Damon." She said aloud. "It was Damon." Of course it had been Damon. Everything always came back to him. She struggled past the fog in her mind, trying to recall the memory, and suddenly it was just there.

"_Uhm…no…I…I'm Elena." She looked back over her shoulder, hoping that somebody was in sight. Maybe wandering away from the group hadn't been such a good idea after all._

"_Oh. You…you just look…" He looked so crestfallen that Elena was almost sorry she wasn't this Katherine, whoever she was. Obviously he cared about her. "I'm sorry, you just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon." He was clearly trying to play it off as if it was no big deal, turning on the charm like he was flipping a switch._

"_Not to be rude or anything Damon, but it's kind of creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." Elena replied, not quite buying into the charm._

"_You're one to talk." Damon replied flippantly. "You're out here all by yourself."_

"_It's Mystic Falls, nothing bad ever happens here." Elena replied honestly._

_Damon stood there for a moment, clearly waiting for her to continue. After a moment's hesitation she decided she may as well. Her parents weren't here yet and he seemed charming enough._

_Elena paused for a moment and then heaved a brief sigh before holding up her phone. "I got into a fight with my boyfriend." She volunteered, explaining her presence._

"_About what, may I ask?" Damon lifted his hands in the universal signal for 'no offense meant.' _

_Elena shook her head softly. "Life, future, he's got it all mapped out…"_

"_And you don't want it?" Damon asked with a small smile evident upon his lips._

_Elena shrugged in reply. "I don't know what I want."_

"_Well that's not true. You want what everyone wants." Damon replied sagely._

_Bemused by his statement, Elena cocked her head to the side and asked: "What, a mysterious stranger who has all the answers?"_

_Damon chuckled at her reply. "Well let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things." He pursed his lips softly and nodded his head in a 'wink-wink-nudge-nudge' sort of expression of knowledge._

"_So Damon, tell me, what is it that I want?"_

_Damon walked closer. Despite her better judgment Elena stayed put, allowing him to approach. Her heartbeat picked up a little bit and she felt a sudden thrill; the rush of the unknown._

"_You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, and adventure, and even a little danger." He smiled his trademark smile as Elena gave him a wide-eyed look, surprised by his insightfulness and a little intimidated by her sudden attraction to a man who was no more than a stranger._

"_So…what do you want?" Elena asked, trying to break the spell. Damon paused, seeming to be caught off guard by the question. He let out a soft sigh. Before he could reply a car horn honked somewhere nearby and Elena turned to see who it was._

"_It's my parents." She announced, turning back to Damon. His gaze caught hers and she was caught like a fly in a spider's web._

"_I want you to get everything you're looking for, but right now I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet." He frowned. "Goodnight Elena." And with that he disappeared from her view._

The honking of a car horn brought Elena from her reverie. She gasped as she saw headlights approaching her and quickly jumped out of the way as the car sped past. She watched it speed by and then turned her eyes back to the road before her.

"Shit." She cursed eloquently. "Fuck. Damn it all to hell. God, I am such an intolerable **ass**. All this time I went on about how things might have been different if I had met him first and he had to sit there listening to me, knowing that he really did meet me first. Damn it!"

Elena let out a primal scream and moved to the nearest tree, kicking it as hard as she could. She was shocked when the tree fell over from her assault, ripped clean out of the ground, roots and all. She looked around to make sure that nobody had witnessed the incident and then started walking down the road. Where she was going she didn't know; she just knew that right then she couldn't possibly go back to the boarding house and sit around waiting for Stefan to come home.

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**Author's Note: **And that's Chapter 9! I wanted to give Elena her memories back sooner, but the timing just didn't seem right. She finally has them though! Now you just have to wait and see what she does with them. :-P Reviews are appreciated as always! See you next chapter. :D


	10. Missing Pieces

**Author's Note: **Even though hits were down just a little bit yesterday, reviews were WAY up, so I want to thank everyone that reviewed. We're almost at 70 reviews now! Woohoo! A special shout-out goes out to Nat-Nat 360 and Niky89 who joined the multi-review club this time around, and to Audshininian who joined my reviewers without accounts club. XD Also, the epic Melissa Williams de Salvatore has volunteered to translate the story into Spanish, so super-duper-extra love and props to her! If you read my story and review in Spanish I'll do my best to respond, but be warned I speak about ten words of Spanish, so if I say something really dumb it's the translation engine's fault. :-P

Sadly The Vampire Diaries doesn't belong to me (*sigh*), but that's okay! One day I will have my own epic vampire series and nobody will have to despair. ;) Until then, no copyright infringement is intended. Forward to Chapter 10!

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**Chapter 10: Missing Pieces**

"Stefan! Stop chasing bunnies and get your ass to Route 4, about a mile out from the Mikaelson place. Elena has killed someone!" Caroline spoke frantically into the receiver of the phone.

The call was disconnected abruptly as Stefan hung up his phone so he could race to the scene of the crime. A few minutes later Stefan stumbled out of the forest and onto the asphalt of Route 4, looking like the proverbial train wreck. His hair was mussed, his jeans were dirty, his once immaculate white t-shirt was splattered with blood and his mouth and fingernails were rimmed with the remaining traces of the same coppery substance.

Caroline _almost _felt sorry for him.

Almost.

"I came as fast as I could. Where's Elena? Where's the body?" Stefan looked around, perplexed. He didn't see any body, or any trace that Elena had been there at all. All he saw was Caroline sitting on the hood of her car, her legs crossed delicately and a phone in her hand. As he watched Caroline turned and dropped the phone in her purse, looking altogether unperturbed.

"Elena's at home, safe and sound." Caroline replied nonchalantly.

Stefan growled, his vamp face coming out again. "Then why would call and tell me something like that?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and pushed herself off of the hood of her car, leaving her purse where it was. "Give it a rest, Stefan. I have a vamp face too, you're not scaring me with yours. I admit it wasn't the nicest way to get your attention, but since you were off in the forest murdering Bambi's mom and being all broody it was the only way I could think of to get your attention without having to search the woods of Mystic Falls for hours on end."

Stefan didn't look in the least happy, but after a moment's pause he folded his arms across his chest and reluctantly spoke. "Fine. What was so important that you had to pretend Elena was in danger to get me to come here?"

Caroline placed her hands on her hips. Two could play this game. "I don't know Stefan. Why don't you tell me? What _exactly _did you tell Damon that made him leave Mystic Falls?"

Caroline wasn't sure that it was possible, but it damned sure looked like Stefan's face paled. Well, at least he had some remorse on the matter.

"He told you? Is he back? Where is he?" Stefan questioned in quick succession.

Caroline rolled her eyes at Stefan's frantic questions. He was like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar who had just heard the front door open and knew daddy was walking in to bust him.

"No, he didn't tell me, at least not through traditional means. Nobody has seen or heard from him since he left. I've tried calling him, but it just keeps ringing through to voicemail." Caroline assuaged his fears, at least for the moment.

Stefan looked relieved. He nodded and then looked up at her, a mixture of pain and confusion evident upon his face. "Then how...?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Elena had a dream about Damon. Some of the things he said weren't exactly things Elena would dream about Damon saying on her own, you know? So I looked into it. Apparently if a sire and a childe are close enough and powerful enough they _can_ communicate through dreams, which leads me to think that Elena's dream was more than just a dream. I figured before I went back and told her just how much of a lying bastard you've been I'd give you a chance to explain yourself."

Stefan flinched at Caroline's words. "Caroline..." He pleaded.

Caroline waved him off. "Save it, Stefan. I'll forgive you eventually; it's not like you even did it to me, though I'm _pissed _that you apparently tried to screw over Elena _and_ your brother in one fell swoop. What I want is an explanation, so: what did you do?"

Stefan had the grace to look ashamed. He lowered his eyes and looked at the ground. After what seemed like eternity he finally replied, his eyes still firmly rooted to the ground. "At the hospital, when Elena was still...dead...for all intents and purposes..." He swallowed past the lump in his throat. "I told Damon that she was awake and that she didn't want to see him."

Caroline's face fell. In spite of everything she'd been hoping that there was some reasonable explanation for all of this. Stefan was a good guy at heart; she still truly believed this, even after all he had done in his days as a ripper. This was no mistake though.

"Stefan..." She said, disappointment clear in her voice. After a moment she shook her head. "What else? What's this promise Damon was talking about?"

Stefan raised his head, looking aghast. Damon really _was _communicating with Elena in her dreams. Whatever hope Stefan had of keeping Elena died; he and Elena were more of a lost cause than he had thought. After a moment he gave a nod and summoned the will to speak.

"When we were going to hide Klaus' body...before I had to come home to take care of Elena...Damon and I, we talked about what would happen when...when Elena made her choice." He swallowed again. "I told Damon that if Elena picked him that I would leave town and let them be happy. He didn't want to, but...I guess he felt he had to. He made me the same promise. When he got to the hospital I reminded him of his promise...I told him that it would just be harder on him and Elena both if he saw her."

Caroline gazed at Stefan with a mix of sympathy and disappointment. "Why, Stefan? Why would you do that to your own brother?" Caroline could already surmise the answer, but she wanted to hear it from Stefan's own lips.

"Because...because Caroline, you know that as long as he's in the picture she'll never choose me. Not in the end. And if I lose Elena...what do I have left?"

"And if Damon loses Elena, what does he have left?" Caroline challenged him. "His best friend is dead and his brother wants him to leave town. Does that seem fair to you? You...you still have friends, Stefan. You have me, Bonnie, Matt...and you have an original vampire who still seems to love you, even if you've turned from the big bad Ripper into a bunny eating pacifist; not to mention an Elena look alike who still has a serious thing for you."

Caroline paused for a moment, shaking her head. "None of that really matters though; what matters is the fact that you lied to your brother and deceived the girl you supposedly love, just so you can go on living in denial. Do you think for a second that if what you and Elena had was real that you would feel the need to do something like that? Love is supposed to make you a better person, Stefan. Look at yourself." She gestured to his disheveled state and his grief stricken expression. "Do you really think that you're a better person right now?"

Stefan shook his head softly. "No...I know I'm not...I just...the thought of losing her, it scares me. So much of what I am now is tied to being the better man for her. When she's gone...what if I go back to being the Ripper?"

Caroline frowned. Was that really what he was afraid of? Was his own identity so closely tied to being Elena's boyfriend that he couldn't separate the two? "Stefan...you don't have to be with Elena to not be The Ripper. That's a decision you have to make for yourself. It shouldn't be tied to a girl; any girl. You need to decide who you want to be and _then _find the girl that you want to be with instead of picking a girl and trying to be what she wants."

Caroline paused for a moment, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I know it sucks, Stefan, but you're going to lose her one way or another. You know that as well as I do. The real question is: do you want to lose your brother in the process?"

Stefan looked up at Caroline, wide eyed. A thin sheen of tears began to gather in his eyes, though he refused to let them fall. "No...no I suppose I don't." Stefan swallowed harshly again. "I'll fix this, Caroline. I promise. Just...let me do it, please? They should hear it from me."

Caroline nodded to him. "Alright, but do it quickly. I don't know how long I can keep this from Elena."

Stefan nodded just as Caroline's phone went off from inside the depths of her purse. "Speaking of Elena...that's probably her. I'm late." She sighed as she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. The picture on the screen declared that it was Bonnie. Oh right, Elena's phone had taken a dunk in the river when they'd gone over the bridge. Bonnie was probably over at the boarding house by now and they were both wondering where she was. Caroline swiped a finger across the screen of her smart phone to accept the call and then put the phone to her ear.

"Hey Bonnie!" She chirped cheerily. "I know I'm late, but I'm on my way back to the boarding house."

"We have a problem," Bonnie's voice echoed gravely from the other end of the line.

"What?" Caroline's voice escalated in pitch. "A problem? Oh God, don't tell me Elena actually ate someone. Please tell me I didn't jinx it..." Caroline was going to feel absolutely awful if that was the case, especially since she'd left Elena alone for so long.

"No, no bodies," Bonnie reassured her.

Caroline relaxed visibly as Stefan peered at her with a questioning look. She held up a finger to tell him to give her a minute. "Then what's the problem, Bonnie?"

"The problem is no bodies, _period_. Elena isn't here. I came over right after sunset and she was gone...that was almost an hour ago."

"What do you mean she's gone?" Caroline called shrilly into the phone, nearly bursting Bonnie's eardrum with her volume.

"I mean she's _gone_, Caroline. No trace of her anywhere. I've searched all the rooms, walked around the house outside, I even checked the garage; she's not here." Bonnie replied.

Caroline frowned deeply. "Can you do a tracking spell like you did before?" Caroline asked her, trepidation evident in her voice. Stefan began to look more concerned. He actually reached out to try to take the phone from Caroline, but she moved out of his reach before he could and shot him a glare for his efforts.

"I don't know...maybe. I've never tried the spell on a vampire before. I'm not certain if it will work. I'm not even certain if Jeremy is really her _blood _anymore, at least not as far as the magic is concerned. I can try it, but I can't make any promises, and I'll need Jeremy."

Caroline nodded. "Alright. Stefan and I will go get Jeremy and then we'll be right there. Is there anything else you'll need?"

"Candles, but I think I can find those here...and a map. I know the spell well enough by now, I don't need my book." Bonnie replied.

"Okay. We'll be there as soon as we can. Thanks Bonnie."

Caroline disconnected the call and dropped the phone into her purse again before grabbing the bag off of the hood and fishing out her keys from its depths. Stefan wasted no time in starting his interrogation.

"What's going on, Caroline?"

"Elena is gone. Bonnie is going to try a locator spell, but she needs Jeremy's blood. We're going to go get him and bring him to the boarding house. Now stop dilly-dallying and get in the car. Your apologies are just going to have to wait."

Stefan nodded and set his mouth into a thin line. Where could Elena have gone? Had she gone looking for his brother? Or had she been taken by force? Was she safe? The questions were running through his brain at light-speed, but he had no answers to allay his fears. All he could do was get in the car, go find Jeremy, and hope that Bonnie could give them the answers they needed before Elena came to any harm.

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**Author's Note: **That's it for Chapter 10! I'm going to try and get another double-dose out today, so stay tuned! Hope you enjoyed it and as always, reviews are appreciated. :) Take care until next chapter!


	11. Convergence

**Author's Note: **Before I forget (again), a special shout-out to Litalove. She should have been in the multi-review club last chapter, but I forgot. D: Sorry Lita! Also, much love to kat st james and cheergirlejami, who joined the multi-review club this go around; and to Elena's Salvatore, Kelly and godricgirl93, my unregistered reviewers.

If you multi-review and I miss you, feel free to PM me and let me know I'm a goofball. Now that there are over 90 reviews (and let me just take this opportunity to say **OMG WE'VE ALMOST HIT 100 REVIEWS, YOU GUYS ROCK!**) it gets hard to keep track of at times. I love you all though! Thanks for continuing to show your support for me and for the fic! ^^

I'm sorry this is later than I wanted, but I got absolutely _swamped. _Please forgive me! :'( That being said, I'll shush and get this show on the road. I still don't own TVD and no copyright infringement is intended. Now for Chapter 11!

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**Chapter 11: Convergence**

Jeremy Gilbert had his headphones on and was in the middle of his latest art project when Alaric decided to appear at the end of his bed. Jeremy jerked, startled by Alaric's unannounced arrival. He pulled his headphones off and shot Alaric a glare. "What the hell, Ric? Haven't you heard of something called privacy?"

Ric rolled his eyes at Jeremy. "Yeah, I've heard of it. I've heard of a lot of things since I'm not wearing headphones; like the incessant _banging_ on your front door." He moved as if to pop Jeremy upside the back of his head, but unfortunately he lacked the corporeal form necessary for the gesture to be anything more than just that: a gesture. That didn't keep Jeremy from shooting him a glare. "Alright, alright, I get it. Somebody's at the door."

The banging echoed again from downstairs. Jeremy heard Rose's lilting voice echoing from out in the hall: "How difficult can it possibly be to retrieve one teenage boy, Alaric? I think they may break the door down soon." Jeremy rolled his eyes and then hustled downstairs, hoping to avoid having to replace his front door.

Jeremy unlocked the door and pulled it open, revealing the form of one very huffy looking Caroline and a slightly more reserved Stefan who lurked behind her.

"About freaking time! Geeze Jeremy, did you go deaf?" Caroline stormed into the house without bothering to wait for an invitation. Thankfully Elena had already given her permission to enter the house long ago, so it was only a nicety to wait to be invited inside and not an actual requirement. Jeremy stepped aside as Caroline barged in, staring at her with a look that was somewhere between shock and amusement. He wasn't sure what had gotten Caroline into such a tizzy, but it was still classic Caroline.

"Please Caroline, come in." Jeremy quipped with a roll of his eyes. Stefan gave him a somewhat sympathetic look as he strolled in after Caroline, who was already tearing through the house on a mission. Jeremy closed the door behind the two and then addressed Caroline. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you; I had my headphones on. Do you mind telling me what's going on though? I might be able to help you find whatever it is you're looking for if you actually told me what that is." Jeremy looked towards the ghosts. "Do you guys know what she's looking for?"

Alaric shook his head. "No, not a clue."

Rose flopped down in one of the chairs, tossing her legs over the arm and watching with idle amusement as Caroline tore the house apart. "Not the slightest clue, but I'm finding it rather entertaining watching her run around like a chicken with her head cut off."

Jeremy stifled a smile as Caroline looked at him like he'd grown a third head. "Who are you talking to?"

Stefan ventured a guess. "Alaric?" He questioned.

Jeremy nodded. "And Rose."

Caroline huffed with irritation. "Well neither of one of them is going to be any help. We need a map! Your sister has gone missing and we have to do a locator spell to find her. Don't you have a map in this house?"

Jeremy arched an eyebrow curiously. "A map? Why would we have a map? Haven't you heard of a thing called GPS?"

Caroline gave a short, shrill cry of exasperation. "Well apparently the witches haven't, because they're doing it the old fashioned way. We'll just have to pick one up along the way. Come on, Jeremy." Caroline grasped him by the hand and practically started dragging him out the door.

"Uh, Caroline…"

Caroline didn't seem to hear him at first.

"Caroline." He said again, louder this time.

She just kept dragging him.

"**Caroline**!" He finally shouted.

"What?" She snapped back in a shrill voice.

"If you would just _stop_ for two seconds, I might know where Elena is."

Caroline's eyes widened in surprise and a smile slid across her lips. "Is she here?" She questioned hopefully.

"No." Jeremy responded.

Caroline's face fell.

"But I think I know where she might be." Jeremy hastened to add.

Caroline perked up again, but quickly hid her excitement with a mask of irritation. "Care to share where that might be?"

"With Damon." Jeremy replied, earning him a roll of the eyes from Caroline.

"Well _duh_.We all sort of figured that already. The problem is that nobody knows where Damon is."

"I do." Jeremy replied.

Caroline blinked. "You do?"

"You do?" Stefan echoed, clearly surprised.

Jeremy nodded. "Rose told me where to find him."

Rose smiled smugly. "And she said that I wasn't going to be any help."

Jeremy chuckled at Rose's comment. Even Alaric cracked a smile. Caroline placed a hand on her hip and glared at the air. "Listen here, Rose! I don't know what you said, but if Jeremy's laughing it was probably something catty and I'm not in the mood for it, so just pipe down unless you have something useful to contribute."

Rose outright laughed at Caroline's words. "I like her. She has spunk."

Alaric groaned. "You don't know the half of it."

Jeremy ignored the two spirits in favor of talking to the living. "According to Rose, Damon's in some place called the Beachcomber Motel in Norfolk. It's about three hours away."

Caroline nodded. "Well then we better get going. Elena doesn't have her ring from Bonnie yet, so the clock is ticking on finding her. I hope she's with Damon, but if she's not…"

Jeremy nodded. "I know, I know. We need to find out as soon as possible so that we can try to locate her before the sun rises."

Caroline nodded her head affirmatively.

"Let me just get Elena's keys. We'll need something bigger than your car if there's going to be five of us in there along with two ghosts."

Caroline practically beamed at Jeremy. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Jeremy. You're like the little brother I never wanted."

Jeremy snorted and rolled his eyes at Caroline as he headed into the kitchen and fished Elena's keys off of the counter. "I'm glad not to be related to you too, Caroline." He said with a smirk as he tossed her the keys. "Try not to wreck the car. I know that living, breathing humans are in the minority around here, but I'd rather not join Ric and Rose." He paused for a beat, looking towards the two ghosts. "No offense guys."

Rose shrugged her shoulders as she kicked her legs off of the arm of the chair she'd been occupying and moved to stand. "None taken." She said nonchalantly.

Ric shrugged as well. "Same."

Caroline shook the keys at them. "This is all very touching, but we're sort of on a deadline here." She reminded them before she started hustling Stefan and Jeremy out the door. "Come on; let's get this freak show on the road. We're at 9 hours until sunrise and counting."

With the clock ticking, two vampires, two ghosts and one little brother piled into Elena's Escape and went to collect their witch.

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**Author's Note: **Alright, I know this chapter was a little shorter than most of my others have been, but I wanted to get it out there. Hopefully it's still good! All the pieces are starting to come together now and Damon will be back in the picture very soon, I promise! :D As always, reviews are appreciated. Help me break the 100 review cap! Until next chapter, take care!


	12. Old Friends

**Author's Note: **Let me start by saying WOW, you guys are awesome! ^^ Over 100 reviews and alerts, nearly 50 story favorites, over 12 k hits and almost 3 k visitors! I feel so speshul. :D And not even in the short busy way, LOL! Special shot outs this time go to Kelly V6661, who joined my unregistered reviewers club; and to stroumfita, Audishininian, and charlibigg, who joined the multi-review club. As always, thanks to all my reviewers! You guys keep the story going. :)

I know I've been a mean, mean author and been keeping Damon and Elena apart for way too long. I promise you they'll be back together soon! Just...not this chapter. XP I know, I suck. I still don't own The Vampire Diaries, even though it makes me sad. :( Now, without further ado, Chapter 12!

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**Chapter 12: Old Friends**

Elena had been walking down the road for a good hour and she still hadn't gotten very far. Sure, she could have raced down the road with her vampire speed, but what if she got caught? So walking it had been, with the occasional sprint to speed things up when she was certain nobody was around. She hadn't even made it past the city limits of Mystic Falls.

That's why she wasn't surprised when a car that had been driving down the road in the opposite direction stopped and turned around. What _did _surprise her was when she actually got a glimpse of the car as it pulled up beside her and rolled to a stop. It was a black 1971 Buick GS. She only knew one person in town who drove that car: Tyler Lockwood. But he was dead, so who was driving his car?

The passenger side window rolled down. From within the car Elena heard a familiar voice.

"Elena?" Tyler called.

"Tyler?" Elena called back enthusiastically as she rushed over to the passenger side and stuck her head in through the window. Sure enough it was Tyler Lockwood in the driver's seat, his dark brown eyes filled with concern.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Tyler asked her.

Elena gave him a look that screamed: _seriously?_ "What am I doing out here by myself? Why don't we start with _how the hell are you alive?_"

Tyler ran a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "It's...kind of a long story. Get in. I'll give you a ride to wherever it is you're going and we can talk about it on the way."

Elena bit down on her lower lip and chewed it a little as she looked down the road. "I...don't really know where I'm going."

Tyler laughed at Elena's admission. "That figures. Alright then...I tell you what: I'll give you a ride down the road until you say to stop or we run out of gas. Deal?"

Elena gave him a small smile and nodded. "Deal." She pulled her head out of the car so that she could open up the door and then slid into the passenger seat, pulling the car door closed behind her. She buckled her seatbelt out of habit and then rolled up the window as Tyler started driving down the road again.

Once she was settled in Elena turned to Tyler once more. "Alright, so...explain. How are you _not _dead?"

Tyler chuckled and glanced in her direction before turning his eyes back towards the road. "Gee, Elena, you sound so happy to hear that I'm alive."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "I didn't mean it like that! It's just that everybody thought you were dead, so what happened? How are you okay?"

Tyler shrugged his shoulders softly. "In a word? Bonnie."

"Bonnie?" Elena questioned, looking perplexed.

Tyler nodded. "Yeah. When I was dying she came to me...cast some sort of spell drawing on my werewolf blood to overpower the vampire blood. I'm not really sure how it worked, but bottom line is that it did and I'm alive."

Elena pursed her lips softly, looking slightly perturbed. "Then why didn't she say anything? We all thought that you were dead."

Tyler nodded softly. "Probably because she didn't know that it worked. Whatever she did, it knocked me out. I was dead to the world. I woke up in the cellar this afternoon feeling like I got run over by a truck, but alive."

Elena gave him a quizzical look, but nodded. It was strange, but it was hardly the strangest thing that she had ever heard.

"Well, I'm glad you're alive, Tyler." She said with a smile.

Tyler returned her smile and nodded. "Me too."

They rode in silence for a while. Elena looked out the window, watching the world go by. Minutes passed with only the sound of the engine and the wind as it blew past the car. A soft drizzle of rain began to fall upon the windshield, adding a staccato rhythm that easily could have lulled Elena to sleep had her mind not been racing.

Eventually Tyler broke the silence with a question of his own.

"So...what happened to you, Elena?"

Elena laughed dryly as she continued to look out the window. "A lot." She said with a smirk.

Tyler nodded. "You died." He prompted her.

Elena nodded. "Yep." She said, popping the p.

"How?" Tyler asked.

"Rebekah." Elena replied.

"Rebekah?" Tyler asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "But why? How?"

Elena gave him a sidelong glance, her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Does it matter?"

Tyler shook his head softly. "No, I suppose not. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I was just curious."

Elena nodded, looking down at the floorboard. "Sorry, you're right. I didn't mean to bite your head off. The Originals have put you through a lot too, so I suppose it makes sense that you would want to know what they're up to. I guess I'm just a little touchy on the subject."

Tyler nodded. "I get that."

Elena drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming herself so she could discuss what had happened. "Matt and I were driving back to town so we could be with you and Caroline and Stefan. We were just crossing Wickery Bridge when Rebekah was suddenly standing there in the middle of the road. Matt swerved to avoid her and we went over the bridge and into the water."

"So is Matt...?" Tyler trailed off, leaving the question unspoken.

Elena shook her head softly. "No, Stefan saved him."

Tyler raised an eyebrow curiously. "But he didn't save you." He made it a statement, but the implications were clear.

Elena frowned at him. "No, he couldn't get to us both in time. I told him to save Matt."

Tyler chuckled wryly. "Of course you did."

Elena arched an eyebrow curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, love. It's just so very..._Elena like_."

Elena's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and a suspicious look crossed her face. "Since when do you call me _love, _Tyler?"

Tyler shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and grinned at her. "Sorry. I guess it's just a habit I picked up when I was sired to Klaus."

Elena eyed him suspiciously, but after a moment she gave a brief nod and let that particular topic go.

"So have you told Caroline that you're alive?" Elena questioned, diverting from the previous topic.

Tyler shook his head. "No. I wanted to tell her in person, but she wasn't at her house."

"Oh." Elena said succinctly.

"Oh?" Tyler questioned.

Elena nodded. "Yeah. She was uhm...checking on something for me. She should be back at the boarding house by now, I guess. She should have been back a couple hours ago though. She was late."

Tyler arched an eyebrow curiously. "And you just left?"

Elena nodded. "Something came up."

"Something?" Tyler asked as an amused smirk toyed across his lips.

"Yes, _something_. As in _something that's none of your business_."

Tyler lifted his fingers off of the steering wheel and splayed them in a _don't hurt me _gesture. "Okay, okay, I get it. You don't want to talk about it. Did you at least leave her a note or something though so she doesn't worry?"

Elena frowned. "No. I didn't think about it. I figured I'd be back before she got there."

Tyler shook his head softly. "Do you think that maybe you should call her?"

Elena nodded. "You're probably right. Can I borrow your phone? Mine got destroyed when I took a dive into the river."

"Yeah...about that..." Tyler said with a sheepish grin.

Elena raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I...kind of don't have a phone anymore either. Caroline and I were planning on getting out of town before this whole thing with Klaus started. Apparently the council was planning on hunting us down and our mothers said we had to go. Taking our phones would kind of defeat the purpose, so...mine's probably at the bottom of the river along with yours."

Elena groaned and leaned her head back against the headrest as she scrubbed a hand across her face.

"I can turn back around." Tyler suggested.

Elena lowered her hand from her face and sat back up straight, preparing to tell Tyler to do just that. Before she could she saw a familiar looking car in the ditch off the side of the road.

"No, stop." Elena said in a voice that was breathy with excitement and anxiety.

"What?" Tyler questioned.

"Tyler, **stop**!" Elena shouted, the sound reverberating in the confines of the car.

Tyler slammed on the brakes, nearly fishtailing thanks to the rain that was beginning to pool on the road, but he recovered with a surprising amount of skill and brought the car safely to a stop a few feet down the road.

"Elena, what the hell?" He barked at her, but before she even replied Elena darted out of the car and into the rain. Tyler groaned and pulled the car onto the shoulder of the road before sliding it into park and hitting the emergency flashers. Once that was done he followed Elena out into the rain that had changed from a light drizzle into a bone-soaking downpour.

"What's going on, Elena?" He questioned again as he approached Elena, who was busy staring at an older Camaro that would have been quite nice if it hadn't been crashed into a tree.

"This is Damon's car!" Elena called back.

Tyler gave her a quizzical look. "Damon? You're looking for Damon now? I thought you were with Stefan..."

Elena shot him a glare that would have been more impressive had she not looked like a drowned rat at the moment; even still the fire in her eyes was enough to make Tyler's brows lift with surprise.

"Things change." Elena said simply.

Tyler nodded and gave a small smile. "That they do."

Elena turned back to the car and tried the driver's side door. It opened without protest and Elena stuck her head inside the car.

"The keys are gone. He must have gone for help." Elena observed.

Tyler nodded. "Probably, but the next town is still a long way away. We should go back to Mystic Falls and let Caroline know you're okay. We can look for Damon once we've regrouped."

Elena shook her head defiantly. "I'm staying."

"What? Elena, you can't just stay here. You don't know when Damon's going to come back. It could be hours. You don't even have a daylight ring yet."

Elena set her jaw stubbornly and gazed defiantly at Tyler. "I'm **staying**." She repeated.

Tyler threw up his hands in exasperation. "Fine, but stay in the car. If he's not here by sunrise, get in the trunk. It won't be comfortable, but it won't kill you like the daylight will."

Elena nodded. "I will."

Tyler headed back to his car, but instead of getting in he reached into the back seat. He grabbed his leather jacket off of the backseat and wrapped it around Elena's shoulders. "Stay safe, okay Elena? If something happens to you and Caroline finds out that I left you here on your own she'll never forgive me."

Elena gave Tyler a small smile. "Okay. Thanks Tyler."

Tyler nodded. "Don't mention it. I mean _really_, don't mention it. I'm pretty sure this isn't going to earn me any brownie points with Caroline. I'm going to head back to Mystic Falls and see if I can track her down, let her know what's going on. If I can't find her by daylight I'll come back for you. You just stay in the trunk until I come get you."

Elena nodded. "Alright, I will."

Elena paused for a moment and then impulsively tossed her arms around Tyler, enveloping him in a hug. Tyler stiffened and hesitated as if he didn't know how to react, but eventually he allowed his arms to tentatively wrap around Elena in return.

Elena pulled back after a moment and smiled up at Tyler. "Thanks again, Tyler."

Tyler nodded to Elena. "You're welcome, Elena. Now get in the car, you're soaking wet as it is."

Elena nodded and raced off to the Camaro, sliding into the driver's seat and shutting herself in. Tyler watched her to make sure she got into the car and then turned back to his own car, depositing himself behind the wheel once again. He steered the car back onto the road, this time back in the direction of Mystic Falls. He raised his eyes to look into the rearview mirror and watched as the Camaro faded from sight and he was left alone with only the pounding of the rain on his windshield as his companion.

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**Author's Note: **And that's Chapter 12 folks! Hope you liked it. ^^ Stay tuned, there will be Damon in Chapter 13 and maybe even a little bit of Delena! As always, I love me some reviews, so review! :D


	13. Lost and Found

**Author's Note: **Here we are at Chapter 13. I'm sorry it's getting posted late tonight, but hopefully it's worth the wait. This chapter just took more time; when you read it I'm sure you'll see why. ;) Thank you to everyone who has continued to read, review and support me and the story. It means a lot! ^^ I still don't own TVD and as always no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Lost and Found**

Silence filled the space inside the Escape. It wasn't the comfortable silence of those who knew each other so well that they didn't feel the need to fill the space of every second with words, but rather the strained silence that came when a conversation had ended and nobody knew what to say.

"Well this isn't awkward or anything." Jeremy said from the back seat of the Escape.

"You think it's awkward for you…at least they can _hear _you." Rose chimed in from the seat beside him. "Besides, corporeal or no it's not exactly fun sitting between you and Bonnie here. Talk about awkward…I can practically _feel _the angst and unresolved sexual tension soaking into my pores."

"Well at least you _have_ a seat." Alaric chimed in from the cargo area. "I've been shoved in the back like luggage or the family pet."

Rose smirked at Alaric and turned around in the seat to pat him on the head. "There there, Rover." She teased him as an amused smile played across her lips.

Alaric shot Rose a dirty look that only made her laugh. Bonnie, unable to hear the ghosts, simply started talking over them.

"Of _course _it's awkward. I'm the last person who would support Elena dating Damon and even I think what Stefan did is pretty shitty." She gave Stefan a sympathetic look in the rearview mirror. "I'm sorry Stefan, but really…"

Stefan nodded. "I know. I was out of line."

"Damn skippy you were out of line!" Caroline chimed in. "And now we have an AWOL Elena. I just hope that she's with Damon like Jeremy thinks she is."

"Me too." Bonnie echoed from behind Stefan as she clutched Elena's daylight ring in her fingers.

"Me three, not that it matters." Ric said from the cargo area.

"Careful what you wish for." Rose called in a singsong voice with a wicked smile upon her lips. "Who knows what sort of position you might find them in; actually, that could be interesting. Maybe I should go in first and check…"

Jeremy groaned and rolled his eyes. "Rose, I really don't need those sorts of images in my head.

Stefan looked at Jeremy in the rearview and lifted an eyebrow curiously as both of the girls burst out into laughter. Rose simply smiled at Jeremy.

"See? It isn't awkward anymore. You can thank me and tell me how much you love me now." Rose chirped at him, looking entirely too self-satisfied.

"It's pretty damned awkward for me!" Jeremy barked back at her, earning another peal of giggles from Bonnie and Caroline. Even Alaric cracked a grin.

"Can't you control her any better?" Jeremy asked Alaric, turning to look at him as he spoke.

Alaric arched an eyebrow curiously. "Control her? In case you have forgotten she's older than me, kid; alive _and _dead. Besides, you're the medium here; shouldn't _you _be the one controlling her?"

Rose turned sideways to face Jeremy and pouted at him. "Control me? Honestly Jeremy, you make me sound like a dog. I'm feeling a little hurt here. Don't you love me anymore?"

Alaric snorted at Rose. "That's rich, given that you were just calling me Fido."

Rose shrugged at Ric and gave him a smile. "Your point? Now shush, Alaric. If we wanted to hear from you we'd place a treat on your nose." Rose batted her lashes at Alaric teasingly.

Jeremy simply rolled his eyes at Rose and Ric and called up to Caroline. "Can we turn up the radio, please?"

"Teenagers…" Rose said with a sigh.

"Can't live without them, can't kill them." Alaric finished for her.

They both shared a laugh that remained unheard by all but Jeremy as Caroline turned on the radio and turned it up, silencing the conversation for the remainder of the ride.

* * *

"We're here!" Caroline chirped enthusiastically as they pulled up in front of a light yellow, two-story building with pale green doors. The place looked like it had probably been the place to be back in the seventies. Now its giant orange arrow-shaped sign with a palm tree against the sun and a seagull flying on a blue background simply made it look cheap and dated. Even the lettering that read "Beachcomber Motel and Apartments" was retro.

"Exactly how drunk was Damon when he picked this place?" Jeremy questioned Rose.

Rose rolled her eyes. "You don't even _want _to know."

Ric snorted. "So just another normal Tuesday for Damon." He quipped snidely.

Jeremy couldn't help but to chuckle. Bonnie looked at him curiously and he simply offered a shrug in response. "Apparently the answer is: very." Jeremy summarized for the benefit of those who couldn't hear the ghosts.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "That's shocking."

Stefan frowned. "Can you really blame him?"

"Nope! You kinda' screwed him over; nicely done with the brotherly love. You can brood later though; right now we have to go find Elena. Besides…" Caroline shrugged her shoulders. "It's better than him picking this place while _sober_."

It seemed that everyone could at least agree on this one point, because nobody said a word. They wasted no time exiting the vehicle after Caroline parked the Escape in one of the small parking spaces in front of the motel.

"So what room is he in, Jeremy?" Bonnie questioned.

"Room 104." Rose volunteered.

"Room 104." Jeremy echoed for the living.

"Well! That shouldn't be hard to find…we're only at..." Caroline frowned and looked at the nearest door marker. "Room 136, crap!"

Caroline looked like she was about to throw a hissy fit and take it out on some unsuspecting inanimate object, but Bonnie quickly redirected her. She looped an arm through Caroline's and pulled her along as they walked. "It can't be that hard, Care. The numbers are going down this way. Come on." Bonnie said as she tugged Caroline along.

As anticipated it wasn't exceptionally hard to locate Damon's room. Within a minute or two Caroline was pounding impatiently on a pale green door marked with the numbers 104.

The door jerked open, revealing none other than Damon Salvatore himself. He looked considerably more sober than he had when Elijah had visited earlier in the morning. His rumpled clothes had been replaced with a clean pair of form fitting black jeans and a slate grey button-up shirt that he had left unbuttoned at the top and untucked at the bottom; his sleeves were rolled up, giving him a more casual look, and his hair was slightly tousled as always, but in the very deliberate way that showed he had styled it rather than the _I'm hung-over and have bedhead _way. Gorgeous and darkly dangerous as always Damon draped himself in the doorway, placing his forearm on the door frame above his head and resting his weight slightly upon it while the rest of his body took up the space in the doorway. The way that he was posed said that he was relaxed, but everything about Damon screamed predator.

"Well well well, what do we have here? I wasn't aware that they were filming another live-action version of Scooby Doo at the motel. Let me guess, Daphne and Thelma?" He said pointing to Caroline and Bonnie in turn. Jeremy and Stefan chose that moment to appear behind the girls, eliciting a sarcastic smirk from Damon. "Oh and look! Here comes Shaggy and Scooby Doo! Where's Fred; car too full for dear old _Matt_ to come along? I figured for certain he'd be here, what with his life being more important than Elena's and all." Damon said in a snarky tone, the last jab obviously aimed at his brother.

"Damon…" Stefan started, but before he could say anything else, Damon cut him off.

"Oh no, I get it, baby bro. You didn't have me around to blame for once, so instead of manning up and saving your girlfriend first you saved her friend so that you could be the hero again. And hey, if Elena dies in the process…well, that's just the way it goes, right?"

"Damon!" Caroline's voice cut through Damon's verbal lashing of his brother. "We get it! You're pissed that Stefan didn't save Elena, but you can continue your witty verbal repartee later. Right now we have more important things to deal with, like the fact that Elena is missing. So can we _please_ come inside?"

Damon's eyes flashed with surprise and a bit of anger that he quickly stifled. He pushed himself off of the door frame and stepped back out of the way, gesturing for them to enter. "Why not? Make yourself at home." He drawled as he rolled his eyes.

The four living beings and two ghosts filed into the motel room. The room wasn't large to begin with, so it made for fairly cramped quarters. Thankfully Damon had cleaned away the empty bottles of booze earlier in the day, so that at least wasn't a concern. After a bit of maneuvering Bonnie and Caroline made their way to sit on the bed while Stefan found a corner to lurk in. Jeremy grabbed a chair from the dinette in the tiny kitchen and placed it by the bed so he could sit near the girls. Damon stood in the center of the room, looking very much like a caged animal that was ready to lash out at the slightest provocation.

"Now…somebody _please _tell me that I heard Vampire Barbie wrong and Elena is safe and sound at home. I'm going to click my heels three times and when I wake up this will all have been a bad dream."

Jeremy shook his head softly. "Sorry Damon."

Damon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously; he could already feel the tension building. "Alright then, at least tell me that you guys already got her ring for her."

Bonnie held up the ring that she had spelled. "She was gone by the time I got there."

Damon gave a snarl of frustration and turned on his brother, who had been doing his best to be quiet and inconspicuous. "God damn it Stefan, I _told you _to take care of her. Exactly what part of that was unclear? It hasn't even been 48 hours and you've already _lost her_? How do you _lose_ your girlfriend?"

Jeremy interceded, trying to distract Damon from tearing Stefan a new one. "We thought that she might be here with you…"

The distraction worked well enough. Damon whirled on Jeremy and held up his hands, gesturing to the tiny motel room. "Does it _look _like she's here? Besides, why the hell would she be here? One, she doesn't even know where I am. Two, she was the one who said she didn't want me in town. And just how the hell did _you guys _find out where I was anyway? Did someone hang a sign outside that says: _Hey, come harass Damon Salvatore!_"

Rose rolled her eyes at Damon. "Tell him to stop being such a big baby." She told Jeremy.

"Rose says hello." Jeremy said instead.

"That's _not_ what I said." Rose said haughtily.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Rose, it would figure she'd still be poking her nose into things from beyond the grave." Damon's voice turned saccharine as he addressed Rose directly. "The whole '_who started our bloodline' _thing is kind of moot now, Rose. You can feel free to start butting out any time now and go back to frolicking through the flowers or whatever it is you ghosts do."

Rose snorted at Damon's words. "You can tell him that…"

Jeremy held up a hand to cut Rose off before she could launch into a tirade. "Not really the time right now, Rose. Let's focus, please?"

Rose sighed, resigned. "Fine."

Damon folded his arms over his chest, looking about as happy as a tiger that had just gotten up close and personal with a proctologist. "That answers the question of how the hell you got here, that still doesn't explain why you thought Elena would be here when she didn't want me around in the first place."

"Yeah, about that…" Caroline prefaced.

Damon gave her a glare that bordered on murderous. "About **what, **Barbie?"

Caroline gulped. Even she was a little intimidated of Damon just then. Thankfully for Caroline, Stefan chose that moment to man up.

"I lied." Stefan confessed.

"You _what_?" Damon questioned.

"I lied. Elena didn't say she wanted you to go. She wasn't even awake yet." Stefan elaborated.

Before anyone could even blink an eye Damon was on Stefan. He had his right forearm pressed against Stefan's throat so hard that Stefan was actually suspended; pressed against the wall with his feet dangling several inches above the floor.

"Give me one good reason that I shouldn't rip your heart out from your chest and feed it to you right here and now, brother…" Damon growled in a dangerous voice. His fangs were fully extended and the veins in his face were protruding as he went from caged tiger to a raging beast in the space of seconds.

"Alaric!" Rose gasped.

"I know…" Ric replied, clearly as concerned about this turn of events as Rose was, but just as helpless to do anything about it.

There was no one in the room who could have sworn that Damon wouldn't have done exactly as he had threatened if Bonnie hadn't interceded. In that moment there was no sign that Damon even recognized Stefan as his brother; for the space of those few seconds, they were well and truly enemies. Before Damon could act on his threats he fell to his knees, grasping at his head and crying out with pain. Caroline took the chance and moved quickly to Stefan, grabbing him and shoving him towards Bonnie.

"Get him out of here, Bonnie!" Caroline instructed frantically.

Bonnie nodded and ushered Stefan out of the motel room. Stefan stopped for just a moment in the doorway, resisting Bonnie long enough to look down at Damon. "I'm sorry, Damon." He said before allowing Bonnie to push him out the door and close it behind them. As soon as the door shut the searing agony started to fade from Damon's head and he found that he was able to breathe again.

"Judgy little witch," he murmured when he was able to speak again, chuckling dryly.

"You're lucky. She just saved you from killing your brother." Caroline said as she offered her hand to Damon to help him up.

"**Don't **talk about my brother right now." Damon said as he took her hand and looked up at her. Whatever Caroline saw in Damon's eyes made her bite down on her lower lip and nod her head softly.

Damon climbed to his feet and looked around the room at those who were left. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he tried to put the beast back in its cage and think clearly.

"Alright, we have six hours until sunrise; that means six hours until things get a lot more dangerous for Elena. We need to work fast. Where did you see her last?" Damon questioned.

"The boarding house." Caroline replied. "She and Stefan got into it early this morning. He took off. I went to go talk to Elijah a little after noon and I planned to be back by sunset, but I got held up. Bonnie got there a little after I was supposed to and Elena was already gone."

Damon nodded. "So she's been gone somewhere between 4 and 5 hours, which for a vampire means she could be, oh, _anywhere_." Damon groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Did you try tracking her scent?"

Caroline nodded. "I tried when we got to the boarding house, but it had already started raining. The trail was gone."

Damon nodded. "So…ideas; if anyone has one, now's the time to volunteer."

Jeremy spoke up. "We can try the tracking spell like you had planned at first." He suggested.

"Brilliant! Jeremy, you have officially made up for your spectacularly bad judgment in taking Elena to the hospital." Damon replied. "Now go get Judgy in here and let's get this show on the road."

"It might not work." Caroline cautioned.

Damon cringed and clenched his fists in irritation, but he managed not to bite Caroline's head off.

"And _why _is that, Barbie?"

"Because Elena is a vampire now. Bonnie isn't sure if the spell will work on vampires and even if it does, she's not sure that using Jeremy's blood will work anymore." Caroline replied.

Damon plastered on a strained smile. "Fine. We'll try Jeremy's blood first and if that doesn't work, we'll use mine. If that fails…well, we'll go for Plan B."

"And what exactly is Plan B?" Jeremy questioned.

Damon leveled his blue eyes on the younger Gilbert. "When I figure that one out, you'll be the first to know."

* * *

As it turned out, Plan B was splitting up and searching every place possible. The spells had failed miserably. They had been left with two blood stained maps and no idea where Elena could be; and so they had been forced to resort to looking for Elena the old fashioned way.

Alaric and Rose stayed at the motel and were to report to Jeremy if Elena showed up. Stefan went back to the boarding house while Jeremy went back to the Gilberts' in case Elena showed up there. Caroline started searching the hotspots in Mystic Falls while Bonnie searched through the grimoire to see if there was any other spell that could help them to find Elena. Damon was left driving up and down the road between Mystic Falls and Norfolk; checking every motel, gas station and rest stop along the way.

The rain was still drizzling and making the search even more miserable for those out in the weather, Damon included. The wipers on Damon's rental car swished back and forth, trying to keep his field of vision clear. Even with vampire senses the rain was an irritation that Damon could have done without. It was hard enough searching for a needle in a haystack without having his vision and hearing hampered by the storm.

Damon's phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. He nearly put the rental car in a ditch in his haste to get the damned thing out, but he managed to recover before the wheels actually left the pavement. He hit the button to accept the call without looking to see who was calling and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Damon said into the phone.

"Damon." Caroline greeted from the other end of the line.

"Did you find her?" Damon questioned; from the sound of Caroline's voice if they had Elena wasn't in good shape, but he could deal with that as long as Elena was alive.

"No, Damon." Caroline replied. "I'm sorry. Everyone's exhausted and we've done everything we can for today. The sun is about to come up. Wherever Elena is, she's not going to be able to go anywhere. We'll start looking again in a few hours, but we need to get some sleep."

Damon growled into the phone. "Elena is missing and you're worried about sleep?"

Caroline sighed. "Yes, Damon. Look, I'm sorry she's missing, but I don't know what else we can do. She could be anywhere by now." There was some rustling that sounded like the phone was being moved around before Caroline's voice came over the line again. "Hold on a second. Mrs. Lockwood is beeping in."

"Caroline," Damon growled dangerously, but it was to no avail. Caroline had already switched over.

Exactly three minutes and forty-nine seconds later Caroline came back on the line.

"What the hell, Caroline…" Damon started, but Caroline cut him off.

"Damon, I know where Elena is."

Damon blinked in surprise. "You do? Where is she? Who told you?"

"She's in your car. That was Tyler on the other line. Don't ask me how the hell he's still alive, but he saw Elena earlier. He gave her a ride and she found the Camaro and refused to leave it."

Damon pulled the car into a sharp u-turn, putting it onto two wheels for a brief second before gravity grabbed it again and brought it back down onto all four. Thankfully the morning commute hadn't begun yet, because he hadn't even checked to see if there was anyone in his way. "I'm on my way now. I'll call you when I've got her."

Damon disconnected the call abruptly and tossed his phone into the passenger seat.

Exactly twenty-nine minutes later Damon arrived at his car. According to his watch he had three minutes to spare.

The rental car had barely stopped rolling when he tossed it into park and flew out of the driver's seat, racing to his beloved Camaro. He yanked open the driver's side door and to his immense relief was greeted by the sight of Elena. She was still damp from the downpour that had soaked her earlier and her hair was in an absolute mess, but she had never looked more beautiful to him than she did at that very moment.

"Elena," he rasped in a voice hoarse with emotion. The rain was dripping down steadily; soaking his hair, his clothes, his skin; but Damon didn't seem to care.

Elena's eyelashes fluttered upwards and her doe-brown eyes came to rest on Damon's face. Her eyes were still bleary with sleep. Without Tyler to keep her company or any form of entertainment to keep her occupied, Elena had drifted off to sleep.

"Damon," she said with a sleepy smile, "Is this another dream?"

Damon shook his head softly and reached out to stroke a strand of dark brown hair away from Elena's face. "No, Elena, it's real. You gave everyone quite a scare."

Elena frowned as the reality of the situation started to penetrate her sleep-fogged brain. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes before blinking them and looking up at Damon again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare anybody. I figured you'd come back for your car sooner or later."

Damon laughed wryly and shook his head. "My car…of course…_that's _what you figured I'd come back for."

Elena shrugged her shoulders softly and looked down at her lap. "I don't really deserve the way you keep coming back to me. I thought that maybe this time…you were really gone."

Damon paused, looking down at Elena with a small frown. "Maybe you _don't _deserve the way I keep coming back to you…"

Elena nodded and frowned. She knew he was right. She had even prepared herself for this; but in spite of all that, she could feel tears prickling in her eyes.

Damon crouched down in front of Elena and pressed a hand to her cheek, making her look at him. A single tear tracked down her cheek and Damon brushed it away gently with his thumb. "But whether you deserve it or not, Elena, I'll always come back to you."

Elena gave him a shaky smile and something inside Damon broke. Before he knew what he was doing his lips were on hers. Their mouths melded together as Damon frantically sought reassurance that Elena was alive and well and there with him. His lips pressed against hers, hard and demanding; her mouth moved against his in return, sweet and soft, showing him with love and tenderness that everything would be okay. The rainwater dripped down on Damon still and drops slid down his face and onto his lips, getting mingled into the kiss. He darted his tongue out to lick a stray droplet away from Elena's lower lip and she gave a small mewl of desire that Damon thought would be his undoing.

As much as Damon wanted to lose himself in Elena, this wasn't the time or the place. He wasn't going to take her in his car like some fumbling teenager and he certainly wasn't going to put her at risk by exposing her to the sun. With a sigh of regret he pulled his lips away from Elena's and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Damon…" Elena began, but Damon put a finger to her lips to stop her. Elena's breath hitched at the familiar gesture, but she stayed quiet.

"We'll talk later, Elena. Right now we need to get you someplace safe and let everyone know that you're okay."

Elena nodded and glanced towards the horizon. "The sun is going to rise soon, isn't it?" She asked with trepidation.

Damon nodded. "It is. Luckily, I have this." Damon pulled the ring that Bonnie had made for Elena from his pocket and slid it onto her finger. Even though Elena knew that the gesture was benign, she couldn't help but to hold her breath. It seemed the Damon had been thinking the same thing, because when the ring was settled on her finger he lifted his stormy blue eyes to her and held her gaze for the longest time.

"Why did Bonnie give it to you?" Elena questioned breathily.

"I don't know." Damon replied in a voice that was gravelly with unfulfilled desires. "Maybe she really **is **psychic."

Elena laughed at the idea. "Maybe."

Damon smiled in return and leaned down to place a delicate kiss against the back of Elena's hand. Even that light touch seemed to make her heart flutter.

"Damon?" Elena said quietly.

"Hmm?" Damon replied.

"Take me home, please." Elena requested wearily.

"Which home?" Damon questioned curiously.

Elena smiled at him. "Whichever one you're in."

Damon smiled back at her and nodded. "Gladly." He said before scooping her out of the Camaro and carrying her to the rental car where he lovingly deposited her in the passenger seat.

Damon slid behind the wheel of the rental car and steered it back onto the road, heading towards Mystic Falls. He gingerly retrieved his cell phone from underneath Elena's thigh and dialed Caroline as he had promised.

"Caroline, I have Elena. She's safe. We're on our way back to Mystic Falls…"

Elena was out like a light before Damon even disconnected the call, the sound of Damon's voice lulling her to sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: **There you go everybody! Damon and Elena are together once again! :D Don't worry; I have more in store for our favorite couple in the chapters ahead. Until then, show how much you love me and review! :)


	14. The Hunt

**Author's Note: **So Damon and Elena are back together again (woohoo!)...you know what that means...yep, it's time for me to be mean to you again. XP Okay, not really _mean_, but no more Delena for joo! At least not in this chapter. Sorry guys! Hopefully you like it anyway though. ;)

Special thanks this chapter to my unregistered reviewers: Alice and angelsblueeyedgirl; and to the new members of my multi-review club: Leilarran, NelenaCalden and Sushi loves Whitlock. Also... **WOOHOO WE JUST HIT 150 REVIEWS!** You guys are all awesome! ^^ Thanks so much for continuing to review and show your support. It keeps me writing. :)

I still don't own The Vampire Diaries (I keep checking every day!) and no copyright infringement is intended. Hope you enjoy Chapter 14!

* * *

**Chapter 14: The Hunt**

Caroline was exhausted. She had been awake for going on twenty-four hours now. During that time she'd barely eaten and had expended a lot of energy both physically and emotionally. What she _should _have been doing was going home and collapsing into bed, but instead she was driving to the Lockwood mansion. She couldn't help it; she **had **to see Tyler.

Caroline pulled the Fiesta through the gates of the mansion and drove up the long driveway that ran up to the house. She turned the corner in the drive and parked the Fiesta in front of the house, barely managing to put the car into park before she yanked the keys out of the ignition and bolted up to the front door of the house.

Before she even had the opportunity to start pounding on the door it swung open. On the other side of the door was Tyler Lockwood, looking as healthy and alive as ever.

"Tyler!" Caroline exclaimed as she flung herself into his arms. "You're alive! I can't believe it. How...?"

Tyler wrapped his arms around Caroline without hesitation. One hand reached up and gently cupped the back of her head so that he could stroke his hand along the silky blonde locks of Caroline's hair. He let his eyes dart around the lawn, making sure that nobody else was with Caroline, and once he was reasonably assured that she was alone Tyler reached out with one hand to shove the door, swinging it closed. Silence fell around the pair and the damp heat of a post-storm Virginia summer day ebbed away as the air conditioning worked its magic.

After a moment's pause Tyler replied to Caroline's question, still holding her as she clung to him. "Bonnie. She saved me, but look...let's not talk about it right now. I'm safe and you need some sleep. You can rest in my bed."

"Your mom won't mind?" Caroline asked, drawing back from Tyler so that she could look up at him.

Tyler shook his head softly. "She won't even know. She left early for work, she had a meeting or something."

Or something. Klaus had compelled the insufferable woman to leave hours ago, but Caroline didn't need to know that.

Caroline nodded softly. "Alright then."

Tyler offered his hand and Caroline accepted it without hesitation. They headed upstairs to Tyler's room. Caroline wasted no time kicking off her shoes and tumbling into his bed, overcome by exhaustion.

"Are you going to sleep too?" Caroline asked drowsily.

Tyler smiled fondly down at her and reached out to brush a blonde curl away from her face. "In a little bit, but not just yet."

Caroline nodded and rolled over onto her side, snuggling into his pillow and drawing the covers up around her. Within seconds Tyler heard the change in her breathing that indicated she was asleep.

Klaus heaved a soft sigh as he looked Caroline over. She looked angelic, curled up beneath the covers. She trusted this boy implicitly. He found that he was a bit...jealous.

He shook his head softly and then moved to rifle through Tyler's things. He had told Caroline he would join her soon and he meant to, but he didn't want to lose the memory of the way she looked just then.

Klaus started tossing items off of Tyler's desk. "Playboy...Sports Illustrated...doesn't this boy keep anything of use?" He groused. After a few minutes of searching Klaus was able to locate a number-two pencil and some computer paper. It wasn't ideal, but it would suffice.

Klaus sat in a chair beside the bed, watching Caroline sleep and sketching her with his meager art supplies. In spite of the lack of quality art supplies, by the time he finished some hours later the drawing was a masterpiece. It seemed not only to capture Caroline realistically, but somehow to give the sense of her spirit; the easy trust and loving nature that she displayed almost carelessly.

After hours of staring at the paper, Klaus found that his eyes had grown heavy. He didn't sleep much, but he did need rest from time to time. He sat the paper and pencil aside and crawled into bed beside Caroline, telling himself that he would just rest his eyes for a moment.

Only a moment.

And then Klaus was just as soundly asleep as Caroline, slumbering soundly next to the woman that was slowly winning his love, but who didn't love him in return.

* * *

When Klaus awoke the sun was setting on the horizon and Caroline was gone, as was the picture that he had drawn of her. Klaus realized his mistake immediately. He raced downstairs, following the trail of Caroline's scent. She hadn't left long ago; her scent was still strong, filling the air with the perfume of jasmine and lilies and something that was unmistakably Caroline. If he could find her he could explain...sort things out...

Klaus' racing mind was brought to a halt as he found Caroline on the back porch of the Lockwood mansion. She sat on a wrought iron bench, staring listlessly out at the grounds and clutching the picture that he had drawn. Klaus swallowed down a lump in his throat. All the words that he had been planning to say died on his tongue.

"Is he dead?" Caroline asked quietly.

"What?" Klaus asked in Tyler's voice, caught off guard by the question.

"I'm not an idiot, Klaus. Please don't treat me like one. Tyler has got about as much artistic ability as a five year old. I'd be lucky if he could draw a decent stick figure of me. So...Is. He. Dead?"

Klaus frowned and looked down at the ground for a moment before raising his head once more. He couldn't look at her, so he looked out over the grounds instead.

"No, he's not dead, love. Right now we're sharing this body. I didn't lie when I said that Bonnie saved him. She put my spirit into Tyler's body; Alaric staked an empty husk."

Caroline nodded numbly, processing this information. "So that's why Bonnie didn't tell us that Tyler was alive...because she knew that you were in his body." Caroline shook her head softly. "Can he come out? Or is he just trapped in there watching you do whatever you want with his body?" Caroline shuddered at the idea.

Klaus felt a pang of hurt at her shudder. Was she really so disgusted by him? "Right now Tyler is asleep, for all intents and purposes. The spell is tied to our werewolf natures, which means that it is tied to the moon. As the full moon approaches Tyler will grow stronger and assume control of his body more frequently and I will sleep more often. When the moon begins to wane once more I will grow stronger and he will sleep again. He will remember the things that I have done as if they are a dream and I will remember what he does in the same fashion."

Caroline's mouth set into a thin line. "I'm going to find a way to get you out of Tyler's body."

Klaus smirked softly. "Believe me, I'd like nothing better, love. Unfortunately it's not quite that simple. I may not have been in it at the time, but my body was still destroyed by my mother's nasty little stake. If you remove me from Tyler's body and fail to put me in another body we _all _die: me, you, Stefan, Damon, even your precious friend Elena."

Caroline's eyes welled with tears of frustration. "Then we'll just find another body to put you in!"

Klaus arched an eyebrow curiously. "And who might that be, love? Who are you going to subjugate to spare your beloved Tyler? Besides, it's not as if you can simply pick someone up off the street and put me in their body. It has to be a vampire from my bloodline; one with a significant amount of my blood. A vampire like yourself won't work; the blood is too diluted. Two, three generations at most; otherwise the spell won't work and there's a significant chance that it will kill me in the process; ergo killing everyone you love along with me."

Caroline gave a small sob. Her shoulders began to shake as she started to cry. Klaus frowned and reached out to rub her back to try and comfort her, but just before he touched her he thought better of it and withdrew his hand, clenching it slightly before dropping it back down to his side.

"I'm sorry, Caroline, truly I am..." Klaus said, sounding genuinely remorseful.

Caroline nodded numbly. "I'm still going to try to find a way to get you out of Tyler's body, you know." She said as she swallowed back her tears.

Klaus smiled fondly at Caroline, marveling at her spirit as always. "I wouldn't expect anything less, love." He replied before moving to crouch in front of her. Caroline's watery blue eyes met Tyler's brown ones, but the smile that was on Tyler's face was entirely Klaus'. He reached out to gently brush the tears from Caroline's cheek with his thumb. Caroline blinked in surprise.

"Until that time comes though, Caroline, I want you to remember something." Klaus said.

"What?" Caroline croaked, her voice cracking thanks to the tears. She sniffled and started to wipe her own cheeks clean, leaning back away from Klaus.

"Remember that I didn't just do this to save me; I did it to save you and all of your friends, Tyler included. Remember that I'm just as trapped in your friend's body as he is trapped by having my spirit inside of him. And remember what I said at the dance...a small town boy...a small town life...it's never going to be enough for you." Klaus said earnestly, his eyes peering into hers.

Caroline jerked away, anger filling her face. "You don't know me well enough to say any of that, Klaus." She snapped at him before standing up and brushing past him. She stormed back through the house and yanked open the front door, rushing out of it and escaping into her car. Klaus followed Caroline all the way to the front door, but he stopped there, settling himself in the doorway. He watched as Caroline climbed into her car and peeled away from the Lockwood Mansion, his eyes staying locked on the car until it turned the corner at the gate and disappeared from sight.

"Oh Caroline, I know you better than you think..." Klaus said, a small smile playing across his lips. He slipped out of the doorway and closed it behind him, turning to head back upstairs to the room that Tyler occupied so he could prepare himself for the evening ahead.

The hunt had officially begun.

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**Author's Note: **That's it for Chapter 14! What do you think? I know no Delena this chapter, but I promise we'll get back to them. ;) Until then I hope you enjoyed the Klaus/Caroline interaction. Review and let me know! :D


	15. Harsh Lessons

**Author's Note: **Sorry I didn't get to update yesterday guys! Between having to go to the doctor Wednesday and two interviews over the past two days I haven't had a chance to breathe. _ It's been a little crazy, but you're getting an update now! :D Since I want to get this out before I leave for the evening I'm going to forgo multi-review/unregistered reviewer shout outs this go round, but I still appreciate all of you and if I missed you this chapter I'll do my best to get you next! ^^

And on a side note, it was pointed out to me that Tyler actually does have artistic ability, so...oops? XD We're just going to cut the little old authoress some slack and assume that Caroline is blissfully unaware that Tyler can draw, mmmkay? :-P

That being said, on to chapter 15!

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**Chapter 15: Harsh Lessons**

The metallic sound of curtain rings scraping across the curtain rod and a sudden bright burst of sunlight awoke Elena, making her moan in protest. She pulled the covers up over her head and tried to block out the light so she could go back to sleep.

Damon was having none of this. He pulled the covers off of Elena's head as he sat down on the bed beside her. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. You've slacked off enough as is."

Elena grumbled and reluctantly cracked open one eyelid, peering up at Damon. "What time is it?"

Damon glanced at the clock before responding. "Just after three, which means that while I've had about six hours of sleep, you've had somewhere around twelve; so no complaining about what a big, mean vampire I am."

Elena shot him a glare. "You are a big, mean vampire."

Damon smirked. Elena could see the wheels in his head starting to turn, but she was too sleepy to realize that it boded poorly for her.

"No, if I was a big, mean vampire I'd do something like this..." Damon moved off the bed in a blur of speed and grabbed the mattress, flipping it upwards so that Elena rolled off of it with a yelp. Just before she hit the ground Elena found herself tumbling into Damon's arms while the mattress fell back down onto the bed frame with a hollow _thunk_.

Elena found herself blushing in spite of herself. Damon was fully dressed and looking like his usual, gorgeous self in a black t-shirt and a pair of matching black jeans, but Elena was still only half-clothed in one of Damon's shirts and a pair of his boxers. Her lack of clothing made her intimately aware of just how much warmer Damon seemed now that they were the same temperature and just how much better his scent was in person. She could tell that he had showered quite recently; there was the faintest hint of his soap on his skin.

Apparently Damon had started talking to her while she was zoned out, because Elena soon felt his index finger tapping against her forehead.

"Earth paging Elena," Damon said with a smirk.

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "Paging? We're in the twenty first century now, Damon, not the twentieth. You're dating yourself."

Damon snorted at her. "Hey, I think I look pretty damned good for a guy my age. Besides, you shouldn't be rude to the man who drove you home, gave you his clothes to sleep in and even let you sleep in his bed; especially when that man happens to be saving you from an intimate encounter between your ass and the floor." To illustrate his point Damon let Elena drop just the tiniest bit. She yelped as he caught her again and then shot him a glare.

"My ass wouldn't be in peril of hitting the floor if you hadn't tossed me out of your bed so unceremoniously." Elena groused at him.

Damon shrugged his shoulders, looking entirely unrepentant. "I had to get your ass out of bed somehow."

Elena scrunched her nose at Damon and gave him a look of displeasure. "Did you ever think of trying _coffee_?"

Damon arched an eyebrow curiously. "_Coffee?_" He echoed. "You're a vampire now, Elena. You don't drink _coffee_."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "You're a vampire and you drink bourbon like it's lifeblood; I don't think it has any magical properties that make it vampire suitable when coffee isn't."

Damon chuckled softly. It was good to hear him laugh and Elena found herself smiling in spite of herself.

"No, bourbon doesn't have any magical properties; it doesn't sustain us either, nor does coffee, but if you really want some I'm sure I can manage." Damon placed Elena back down on her feet delicately. "Go get cleaned up and ready and I'll make you some. Be ready to hit the ground running though; you've got a busy day ahead of you."

Elena arched an eyebrow curiously, wondering just what Damon had in store. After only a moment's hesitation she slipped into the bathroom to get cleaned up while Damon went downstairs to make her coffee.

* * *

Elena gave a sharp gasp as Damon's body pressed against hers. She could feel the strength in his body as he pulled her close to him; see the muscles rippling beneath his skin as his mind and body worked in perfect accord. The ease and grace with which he worked made it look more like art than physical work; as if he were performing some exotic dance. The problem was that this particular dance ended with him staking her, _again_. Not literally, of course, but the press of the stake against her chest was enough to let her know that she had lost once more.

Damon released Elena and slipped back into the house, though what for Elena couldn't imagine. She figured it out quickly as he returned seconds later, carrying a glass of blood in his left hand and a glass of bourbon in his right.

"You know, Damon, when you said that I had a busy day ahead of me this wasn't quite what I had pictured..." Elena said as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Damon had fixed her coffee as promised and then he'd wasted no time in dragging her out onto the lawn for "training." Training had begun three hours ago and it hadn't stopped since. She was beginning to feel like she was in vampire boot camp.

Damon arched an eyebrow curiously as he offered Elena a tall glass of blood. "Oh?" He questioned curiously. "And just what did you think I meant?"

He flashed her one of his trademark grins and did that thing with his eyes that Elena both hated and loved, earning him a glare from Elena as she took the glass from his hands. Blood didn't seem quite as appealing to her as a tall glass of water would have right about then, but Elena knew she needed it, so she relented.

"Not _that_." Elena replied. "But it does sort of seem like you're pissed at me. You've barely said two words to me since I got out of my shower."

Damon gave Elena a slightly sardonic smirk. "Now what reason could I _possibly _have to be angry with you, Elena? It's not as if you keep crushing my heart into a million little pieces with your little '_I care about you, but I love Stefan_' spiel and then stringing me along by doing things like mauling me outside the motel room in Denver. Oh wait, that's right..." He smirked and shook his head as he lifted the crystal tumbler to his lips and took a drink of the bourbon that he had poured for himself when he went to retrieve the blood for Elena.

"Damon," Elena began.

"Don't." Damon cut her off.

Elena frowned. "You don't even know what I'm going to say."

Damon rolled his eyes and shook his head at Elena. "That's the beauty of it, Elena; I don't _need_ to know what you're going to say. There are pretty much two options: one, you're going to tell me that you still love Stefan and you didn't ever mean to lead me on, in which case: been there, done that, don't need to hear the broken record; two, you're going to tell me that being turned has made you realize what a _gargantuan _idiot you are for continuing to carry on with this whole 'I love Stefan' charade and that you're in love with me. On the remote, and I do mean _remote _chance that is the case... well, two words, Elena: prove it."

Elena blinked a bit, surprised. "What?"

Damon rolled his eyes and held up his glass of bourbon, inspecting it. "I know I haven't drank enough of you to be stuttering." He said, addressing the glass, before turning those stormy blue eyes back to Elena. "It's fairly simple, Elena: prove it."

"Prove that I love you." Elena said skeptically.

Damon nodded. "That's the general idea, yes."

Elena frowned. "You don't believe me?"

Damon groaned at Elena. "Don't go getting all hurt teenage girl on me, Elena. I believe you love me; it's what I've been _trying _to tell you all along. What I _don't _believe is that you're ready to reconcile yourself with that fact just yet. You _say _a lot of things. That's the problem: I don't know what to believe anymore. For instance: two days ago you told me that you had to let me go and that you're in love with Stefan. Should I believe that?"

Elena frowned and glanced away nervously. "It was true at the time." She protested.

Damon was suddenly on top of her, pressing her against a nearby tree and pinning her there with his arms on either side of her head. She gave a gasp and dropped her glass onto the grass, spilling what was left of the blood on the vibrant green blades and staining them so they appeared almost black.

"Was it, Elena? Because I find it hard to believe that you've fallen out of love with my brother in two days; especially after that epic speech about how you never fall out of love with him."

Damon's eyes were hard, harder than she had ever seen. In that moment she could almost see why others were afraid of Damon. He had never directed his violence at her and she still trusted him not to, but in that moment she could see just how much danger she would be in if he ever changed his mind. He was like a caged animal and she just kept poking him through the bars of his cage.

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat and licked her lips nervously. "I..."

"You what, Elena? Going to retract what you said then? Or now?"

Elena frowned and shoved at his chest. "Stop being such a big bully!" She shouted at him almost petulantly.

Damon smirked and leaned in closer, so close that she could feel his breath on her face and smell the sweet scent of bourbon that lingered on his breath. "Now I'm a bully?" He asked curiously.

Before she had time to respond Damon grasped Elena's hips and pulled them towards him, rolling the lower part of her body against his. Elena gave a gasp; that only seemed to egg him on. He grasped her buttocks and lifted her just as he had in her dreams before pressing her back against the tree. The bark of the tree bit into her back and made her whimper, but Damon only responded by pushing harder against her, nestling himself firmly between her thighs and pressing against her aching core.

His lips started to trace over her neck, softly feathering along the skin as his tongue traced along her sensitive flesh. Elena whined, but this time it wasn't with pain. Her breath started to hitch in her throat and her head lolled backwards as she started to give herself over to the sensations that Damon was able to inspire in her body.

She could feel his mouth nuzzling against the top of her breast as his hand massaged her ass, gripping her and holding her firmly so that he could roll himself against the most sensitive parts of her anatomy. Their clothes were still on, but Elena was on fire. She had completely forgotten what they were talking about; all that mattered was the sensation of his body sliding along hers. She could feel her body tensing as she spiraled higher and higher, the feel of Damon's hands and lips torturing her exquisitely. It seemed like his hands were everywhere at once; gripping her ass with bruising force and then caressing her thigh with a feather light touch; gently stroking along the sensitive skin along her hip and then roughly tweaking her nipple through the fabric of her sports bra. The shift between gentle and rough kept Elena on edge, never knowing what was going to come next and always eager for more.

Damon played Elena expertly; as if she was the finest instrument and he was the master musician. He taunted her and teased her in all the right ways, licking and kissing and rubbing her just as she liked and making her moan with delight. His firm abdomen pressed against her warm core through the thin fabric of the athletic pants she wore and rubbed exquisitely against her aching little nub, pressing Elena higher and higher. He could smell her arousal, even taste it in the sweat on her skin. He listened and watched very carefully, waiting until she was on the precipice of orgasm.

And then he stopped.

Elena was left reeling as suddenly she was back on her feet again and Damon was across the lawn, picking up his discarded glass of bourbon. He lifted the glass off of the ground and then turned to look at her, his blue eyes dark with desire. Separated as they were it was easy for Elena to see that he was just as painfully aroused as she was.

"If I was a bully, Elena, I wouldn't stop. I would tie you to my bed and make love to you over and over until you forgot about everyone and everything but me. I would put that idiot little brother of mine to shame and give you sensations and experiences that he hasn't even dreamed of. If I was a bully, Elena, I wouldn't give you a choice; I would simply **take **what is mine." His eyes bored into hers. The intensity of Damon's gaze made Elena's breath hitch in her throat. She didn't know whether to run away screaming or fling herself into his arms and beg him to do everything he had promised. Before she could decide to do either Damon turned his back on her.

"Lucky for you, I'm not a bully." He stated gruffly.

Damon walked into the boarding house, leaving the door open behind him so Elena could come in when she chose to.

As soon as Damon was out of sight Elena sank down to the grass, her legs giving out from under her. Her whole body was trembling with sensations and her mind was reeling, trying to process what the hell had just happened.

Prove it, he'd said.

"Well fuck." Elena said as she pressed a palm to her forehead and exhaled deeply, trying to get herself under control. One thing was for certain: Elena was going to have to work quickly if she hoped to still have her sanity in tact by the time she had proven her love.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yay! More Delena! Okay, I know Damon is being a little more gruff with Elena than he is in the show, but a) Elena deserves it, and b) I really can see Damon taking this route. Too much? Too little? Just right? Let me know! Hope you all liked it. :D As always, I love to read your reviews, so keep 'em coming! Until next chapter, tata!


	16. Only in Mystic Falls

**Author's Note: **Hooray! We're almost at 200 reviews! You guys are awesome. ^^ As promised I'm going to catch up on my shout outs this chapter, so special shout outs go to my multi reviewers: Paz Ortiz, KellyV, spiritedghost, sara braga, KimTJordan, PiccolloUccello, beverlie4055, and wsm021; also, much love to my unregistered reviewer, C. If I missed you I'm sorry and as always feel free to PM me and tell me what a goof I am! With all these lovely reviews it gets hard to keep track of who I've given shout outs too! :D Now that all the love giving is out of the way, let's get on with Chapter 16! ^^

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**Chapter 16: Only in Mystic Falls**

Caroline pulled in front of Bonnie's house and parked her car on the street. She was still trembling from her encounter with Klaus...Klaus in Tyler's body. Bonnie _definitely _had some explaining to do.

Caroline slipped out of the Fiesta and closed the door behind her, locking the car for good measure before striding confidently up to Bonnie's front door. She rapped firmly on the door four times and then crossed her arms beneath her breasts as she waited for Bonnie to answer the door.

Bonnie opened the door within a matter of seconds, blissfully ignorant of the fact that Caroline had discovered her betrayal. She smiled at Caroline and stepped aside to allow her to enter the house. "Hey Caroline, come on in."

Bonnie didn't remain ignorant for long as Caroline stormed into the house, her footsteps echoing in the small home and her blonde curls bouncing with each impact. Bonnie blinked in confusion as Caroline whirled on her.

"Why the hell didn't you tell us, Bonnie?" Caroline demanded shrilly.

Bonnie blinked, genuinely confused. "Tell you what?"

Caroline stamped her foot impatiently. "Don't play that game with me, Bonnie Bennett. What the hell do you think? Why didn't you tell us that Tyler wasn't actually dead because you just so happened to stick Klaus in his body before Alaric could shove a stake through Klaus' heart?"

Bonnie looked a little ill when she realized that Caroline knew about her spell. The color drained from her face and she actually stumbled backwards a few steps until she bumped into a table that she was able to use for support.

"You can't tell anyone, Caroline." Bonnie demanded.

"The hell I can't!" Caroline replied.

Bonnie frowned. "I'm serious, Caroline. Klaus is only safe if everyone thinks that he's dead, which means that the only way to keep all of you safe is to let people go on thinking that he's dead. That's why I didn't tell you in the first place. The more people that know Klaus is alive, the more danger you're all in."

Caroline frowned at Bonnie. She didn't like it much, but she could see the logic in Bonnie's words. "Fine...but why didn't you tell me that Tyler was alive at least?"

Bonnie sighed. "Because you weren't supposed to know, Caroline. Klaus was supposed to leave town so you would never see him. If people thought Tyler was dead then that was at least one vampire from his bloodline that had died along with him...it confirmed Klaus' death. Apparently Klaus isn't concerned about that though; or at least he's more concerned about something else." Bonnie gave Caroline a pointed look.

Caroline blushed a bit at the look Bonnie was giving her before turning away. "It's not my fault that the guy is obsessed with me." She protested.

Bonnie nodded. "It's not."

Caroline sighed and lowered her head. "Then why do I feel so guilty?"

Bonnie gave Caroline a curious look and then shook her head. "As much as that statement concerns me, Caroline, I'm afraid we have bigger fish to fry."

Caroline turned to face Bonnie once more, blinking in confusion. "We do?"

Bonnie nodded, a grim look upon her face.

Caroline gave her a perplexed look. "How? Esther, Mikael and Alaric are all dead. As dysfunctional as Klaus' family is, I don't think that they're going to kill each other off. Stick each other in coffins for a couple of centuries, maybe, but not actually kill each other."

Bonnie frowned and ran a hand through her hair nervously. "But the stake is still out there."

Caroline blinked. "Come again?"

"The stake; the one that Esther created to kill the originals; the one that Alaric had." Bonnie clarified.

Caroline rolled her eyes at Bonnie. "Duh! I figured that much. What do you mean it's still out there? Alaric died when Elena did and he was the one that had it."

"_Had _being the operative word." Bonnie replied.

Caroline huffed in frustration. "Could you stop the cryptic bullshit and cut to the chase, Bonnie?"

Bonnie bit down on her lower lip. "I'm pretty sure Damon didn't take the stake with him when he left Alaric; he just came straight back to Elena. When I told Klaus that I didn't think Damon had the stake he went to go get it so that we could destroy it, only it wasn't there; so unless Damon has the stake stashed someplace and just hasn't told us about it..."

Caroline stood there for a moment, completely floored by this information. "You mean that there's an indestructible original killing weapon out there _and we have no idea who has it_?"

Bonnie said nothing at first; the look on her face was answer enough. Eventually she added: "Unless Damon has it."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "He thought Elena was dead. What the hell do you think the chances are that he had the presence of mind to not only retrieve the stake, but then to hide it away so none of us ever saw it?"

Bonnie sighed. "About zero."

Caroline nodded. "Precisely. So the chances are that there's somebody out there who wantsto kill at least one original and now has the means to do so."

"Maybe whoever has it only wants to kill one?" Bonnie supplied hopefully, though it sounded a little flat. It was obvious Bonnie didn't have much faith in the suggestion.

Caroline snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure there's someone out there with an original killing stake who just wants to kill _one _of the originals, and we're lucky enough that it happens to be Kol he's gunning for."

Bonnie pursed her lips softly. "I never said it was likely."

Caroline ran a hand through her blonde curls, tousling them just a bit. "Chances are even if they only want to kill _one _original it's Klaus. Why the hell do we have to be descended from his bloodline? Why couldn't it be Elijah? At least he's not out there causing chaos and pissing people off so that everybody and their mother wants a piece of him!"

Bonnie smirked at her. "Because that would be too easy?"

Caroline gave an exasperated sigh. "Of course."

Bonnie's lips pursed softly. "It gets worse."

Caroline gave a slightly hysterical laugh. "Of course it does." She scrubbed a hand across her face and groaned. "Alright, I'll bite. What else?"

Bonnie paused for a moment. "The witches aren't talking to me at all. Normally I wouldn't mind so much, but this doesn't seem like they've just stopped being chatty, it feels like..." Bonnie hesitated, searching for words.

"Like?" Caroline questioned.

Bonnie sighed. "It feels like they're _purposely _blocking me out. Like they're talking about something that they don't want me to know about."

Caroline gave another humorless laugh. "Oh, you mean like who they're going to get to wield their original killing stake next?"

Bonnie nodded and gave Caroline a grim look.

Caroline threw up her hands in exasperation. "Well, that's just great! Vampires weren't bad enough, now the witches are trying to kill us too. It's like the Holocaust only more efficient!" Caroline shook her head softly. "No offense, but I think being judgy runs in the family. I can see why you guys got burned at the stake."

Bonnie gave Caroline a hurt look. "Hey! I'm a witch too, you know! A witch who saved your life on several occasions, if you recall."

Caroline sighed and moved to wrap her arms around Bonnie in a hug. "I know, Bonnie. I love you. I didn't mean it like that, it just...it gets old having someone new trying to kill you every day."

Bonnie chuckled wryly. "Tell me about it."

Caroline stepped back, releasing her hold on Bonnie, and gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll get through it together though, right?"

Bonnie nodded and returned Caroline's smile. "Right."

Caroline sighed. "Well then...where do we start?"

Bonnie considered for a moment. "I don't know...the others need to know about this, but if we tell them we'll have to tell them about Klaus."

Caroline frowned. "About that..."

Bonnie raised a brow questioningly.

Caroline swallowed nervously. "I think...Elijah already knows. He told me that he thought Klaus was still alive. He didn't know how, but he knew that the vampires Klaus sired didn't die like they should have."

Bonnie frowned. "Damn. I was worried about that..."

Caroline nodded. "So...what do we do?"

Bonnie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We tell them..._all_ of them."

Caroline blinked. "And by _all _you mean...?"

Bonnie set her lips into a thin line of determination. "The originals too."

Caroline laughed. "Well that should be fun."

Bonnie smirked and gave a soft chuckle of her own. "Loads."

Caroline nodded. "So we tell everyone. Do we tell them about Klaus being in Tyler's body?"

Bonnie shook her head softly. "No...we just tell him that he's alive. How and where can remain a mystery."

Caroline pursed her lips softly. "They aren't going to like that, you know."

Bonnie nodded. "I know."

"We're going to have to lie to our friends, or at least lie by omission." Caroline added.

Bonnie gave another nod. "I know that, too. It's for their own protection though. The fewer people who know about Klaus, the safer he is."

Caroline nodded. "So do we invite him to this meeting too?"

Bonnie nodded grimly. "Yes, as Tyler."

Caroline gave another slightly hysterical laugh. "Only in Mystic Falls..."

Bonnie gave Caroline a sardonic smile. "Only in Mystic Falls." She agreed.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Dun dun dun! Another Delena-less chapter, I know, but I gave you guys your fix last chapter, right? ;) Besides, we had to have a villain to keep this story going! :-P What do you think? Review and let me know! ^^


	17. People Worth Living For

**Author's Note: **So first off I want to say: Hooray! Over 200 reviews! You guys rock! ^^ Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and especially those who have reviewed multiple times. Special shout-outs this chapter are going to those who have been super supportive since the early chapters of this story and who have shown extra support through PMs: Rahveryn, Melissa Williams De Salvatore, tuckt81, AlanaLE, and Angelfan984. I love all of you readers, but I think these guys deserve extra props for being there from ye olden days (a whole week and a half ago XP).

I still don't own TVD (*sigh*) and no copyright infringement is intended. Now on with the story!

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**Chapter 17: People Worth Living For**

Stefan crept quietly into the boarding house, intent on getting his things and leaving for good this time. He had packed a bag and gone to stay at one of the local motels when he had learned that Elena was safe and Damon was on his way home with her. The last thing he wanted to do was incur his brother's wrath or upset Elena with his presence and so it had seemed the most prudent way to handle things; he could only stay in a motel for so long though and so he had resigned himself to retrieving his personal effects and leaving town.

"You know if you're going to sneak into the house you should really use a window. Hasn't a century of being a teenager taught you anything, little brother?" Damon called from the living room.

Stefan gave a resigned sigh and diverted his path, heading towards the living room rather than up to his room to retrieve his things. Obviously Damon wanted a word with him, so he may as well take his licks and get it over with.

"It has taught me that I can't get anything past you, Damon, so why bother trying?" Stefan replied, leaning in the door frame of the living room with his arms crossed over his chest.

Damon chuckled as he raised his customary glass of bourbon to his lips, not bothering to rise from his position on the couch to greet his brother or even to turn his head to look at Stefan while speaking. "That's true, little brother. You're getting smart in your old age."

Stefan gave a short, dry chuckle. "I'd like to think so."

Damon rolled his eyes at Stefan. "Don't go getting a big head, you're still my dumb little brother."

Stefan's lips twitched into a smile. "I know."

This time Damon did rise, pushing himself off of the couch in one fluid, graceful movement and then walking over to his decanter of bourbon to pour another glass. "So where are you off to, little brother? I hear Universal Studios is thinking of adding a 'Twilight' portion to their theme park. I'm sure with a little glitter you could be their main attraction. You've got the whole brooding vampire act down pat." Damon smirked and offered the glass of bourbon that he had poured to Stefan, who stepped out of the doorway to take the glass that his brother offered.

"Who says I'm going anywhere?" Stefan questioned.

Damon rolled his eyes. "And _that _is why you're my dumb little brother, Stefan. If you were coming home to stay you wouldn't bother trying to sneak in, now would you? So obviously you were hoping you could slip in and grab your stuff before anyone noticed; ergo, you must be going somewhere with said stuff."

"I told you that I would leave if Elena picked you." Stefan offered by way of explanation.

Damon chortled at his brother's words. "She hasn't exactly picked me, Stefan. Besides, you know Elena; in a couple days she'll remember what a spectacular ass I am and forget all about what a whiney emo kid you are and you'll be back to playing white knight while I skulk in the shadows."

Stefan paused for a moment and raised the glass of bourbon to his lips thoughtfully. He sipped at the contents of the glass before lowering it again and speaking to his brother. "This time I think you're wrong."

Damon shrugged his shoulders softly. "Okay, so what if I am? Elena picks me and we ride off into the sunset together. In case you've forgotten she's a vampire now, Stefan. What's your grand plan? Avoid us for the rest of eternity?"

This time it was Stefan's turn to shrug. "It's a big world."

Damon groaned and shook his head at his brother. "Oh come off of it, Stefan. If anybody has the right to be brooding it's me; I'm the one you tried to screw over, remember?"

Stefan pursed his lips softly, looking quite displeased at the reminder. "Yes, I recall. I'm sorry, Damon, really. There's no excuse for what I did, but I can't take it back. The best thing that I can do is just to get out of your way now."

Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. If vampires could get migraines he was pretty sure he'd have on constantly thanks to Stefan. "Look, save it, okay Stefan? Yeah, you were a complete and utter dick. There's no excuse for what you did, but if the tables were turned...well, I might have done it myself. It's Elena, after all. I'm still pissed at you, but that doesn't change anything. We're brothers; I'm not about to tell you to fuck off over a girl, not even Elena. Whatever choice Elena makes she can make it with the both of us here. Time for a new deal: whether she picks you or me, the loser sucks it up and continues to act like the brother he's supposed to be. Deal?"

Stefan paused for a long moment before nodding. He allowed a small smile to curve across his lips. "Deal."

The moment of brotherly affection was brought to an abrupt halt as Stefan's phone rang. Stefan sat his glass of bourbon aside and fished his phone from his pocket. He swiped his thumb across the screen of the phone to accept the call before placing the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Stefan said into the receiver.

Damon lifted a brow curiously. "Little brother getting a booty call already? Tsk tsk." Damon teased him with a smirk.

Stefan just rolled his eyes at Damon and tried to ignore him. Stefan turned his back towards his brother and walked away, trying to focus on the female voice on the other end of the line.

"Stefan, it's Bonnie. We all need to meet. It's really important. Can we use the boarding house? Tomorrow at noon?"

Stefan blinked. "Yeah, of course. What's going on Bonnie? And what do you mean we _all _need to meet?"

This piqued Damon's curiosity. One dark eyebrow crept up his face questioningly as he strayed towards his brother, keeping his sarcasm and wit in check in favor of learning what was going on.

"I mean everyone. You, Damon, Elena, Caroline, me, and..." Bonnie paused, hesitating.

"And?" Stefan prompted.

"The originals: Elijah, Rebekah and Kol."

This shocked Stefan. The surprise was clear on his face and the sight of it made Damon frown. Damon snatched the phone from Stefan's grasp and put it to his ear. "What's going on, Judgy?"

"Damon, I was just telling Stefan that we need to meet at the boarding house tomorrow at noon." Bonnie replied.

Damon rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wished he could reach through the phone and throttle people. "I got that, Sabrina. I meant who is included in this meeting that made Stefan look like you just grew a second head and what the hell is so damned important that we need to include said people?"

The line went quiet for a while before Bonnie responded: "The originals are coming."

Damon's nostrils flared with irritation. "No. Not only no, but hell no! How many times do the damned originals have to screw you over before you people get it through your head that dealing with them is a _bad idea?_"

Bonnie sighed. "I don't like it anymore than you do, Damon, but we need them."

"For what? Stabbing us in the back?" Damon replied in a snarky tone.

"For fighting whatever the hell is coming." Bonnie said calmly.

"Whatever the hell is coming? What's that supposed to mean, Sabrina?" Damon snapped back.

On the other end of the phone, Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Look, Damon, I'll explain everything tomorrow, okay? For right now let's focus on something else: do you have the stake?"

Damon arched an eyebrow curiously. "Planning on assassinating the originals, Judgy? Do I need to remind you that we don't actually know who sired our line of vampires which sadly makes the originals off limits?"

"No Damon, I'm not planning on assassinating the originals. Look, do you have the stake or not?" Bonnie said in an exasperated tone.

"Not on me, but it's in a safe place." Damon replied.

Bonnie nodded and then spoke since Damon couldn't hear her. "Good. Get it, please. We'll need it at the meeting tomorrow."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, Sabrina. First thing in the morning." Damon was just about to hand the phone off to Stefan again when Bonnie called his name.

"Damon."

Damon put the phone back to his ear. "Yes, Sabrina?"

The line went quiet for a moment. "Be careful, okay? And look out for Elena."

Damon nodded. "I always do, Bonnie. You know that."

"Yeah, I know." Bonnie's voice said from the other end of the line.

Damon handed the phone back to his little brother so that they could confirm plans and say their goodbyes. Within a minute or two Stefan hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket.

"So...another exciting meeting with the originals." Damon drawled as he took a drink of his bourbon. "I wonder what shit they'll try to pull this time?"

Stefan shook his head softly. "I don't know." He paused for a moment. "But you know I always have your back, Damon."

Damon smirked softly at Stefan and nodded. "Yeah, I know." He reached out and patted his brother on the back. "Cheer up, Stefan; we may get to die for Elena yet."

Stefan smirked. "Or for each other."

Damon nodded his agreement. "Or for each other." He paused for a moment, looking down at the bourbon in his glass before lifting the glass towards his brother. "To people worth dying for." Damon said with a sardonic smile.

Stefan lifted his glass and clinked it gently against his brother's. "To people worth living for."

They both drank in silence, wondering what awaited them come tomorrow and being thankful for what they had today.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I thought we needed some brotherly affection & reconciliation. What do you think? Review and let me know! ^^ Also, for all you Twihards out there, don't hate me. :-P I love me some Twilight myself, but that doesn't mean it's not open season for Damon's humor! ;) Until next chapter, take care!


	18. Something to Lose

**Author's Note: **A big thanks to everyone who has continued to read and review this story. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're all awesome! ^^ The special shout out for this chapter goes to Crow X, who joined my multi-review club. :D Sadly I still don't own TVD, so no copyright infringement is intended. That being said, on to chapter 18!

* * *

**Chapter 18: Something to Lose**

"Rise and shine, beautiful." Damon said as he held a mug of steaming hot coffee out to Elena. Elena didn't seem tempted by the coffee, because she merely scrunched her nose and gave him a pouty look.

"What time is it?" She murmured sleepily.

"6 a.m." Damon replied.

Elena groaned. "The sun isn't even out yet, Damon. Come to bed."

Damon rolled his eyes at Elena. "Sorry princess, no can do. We've got a road trip to take, so either you're getting out of bed and coming with me or you can stay here and I'll go alone."

Elena finally cracked an eyelid open and gave Damon her best disgruntled look before pushing herself up into a sitting position. She reached out and made a grabby motion with her right hand until Damon placed the coffee mug in it and she took a sip of the hot, brown beverage. Once the warm liquid slid down her throat and into her belly Elena leveled her gaze on Damon again. "Where are we going? And where did you sleep last night? You never came to bed."

Damon shrugged his shoulders softly. "I slept in one of the guest bedrooms. As for where we're going: back to the storage unit where I stashed Klaus' body."

Elena frowned as she sipped on her morning brew. "The guest bedroom is for guests. You have a bedroom, so why did you sleep in there? And I thought that Klaus' body was gone?"

Damon smirked. "It is. Luckily it's not Klaus' body we're going there for."

Elena gave Damon a puzzled look. "Then what _are _we going for?"

"Ric's body and the original killing stake that I stashed with it." Damon answered.

Elena's eyes widened slightly before she gave a grave nod. She remained quiet for a moment, sipping at her drink. After a minute or two she finally spoke again. "You didn't answer my question, you know."

"And what question might that be, Elena?"

"Why did you sleep in the guest bedroom?" Elena questioned.

"Because you were sleeping in my bed." Damon responded simply.

Elena rolled her eyes. "You know, coy doesn't really work for you Damon."

Damon smirked at Elena. "It doesn't?" He asked with a sultry look before shrugging his shoulders. "Fine, you want full disclosure? I've decided that we will not be sharing a bed, platonically or not, until you prove that this," he gestured between the two of them, "Is what you really want. It's too hard to be close to you and not actually _be _with you and I'm not going to be the one that starts something and then ends up rebuked because I took it too far. This time it's all on you, Elena. And since I'm a gentleman, I'm not about to kick you out of my bed, ergo...I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom."

Elena gave him a slightly pouty look. "You slept in my bed when we weren't together before."

Damon chortled. "Yeah, and that worked out _so well_."

Elena frowned and nodded. "Fine. No sleeping together until..." She trailed off, blushing slightly.

Damon smirked, amused by the fact that she grew embarrassed even though he knew she was no virgin. "Until we actually _sleep together?_" Damon provided, wiggling his eyebrows lasciviously.

Elena nodded, her cheeks darkening even further. "Yes, until we sleep together."

Damon nodded and then moved to grasp Elena's chin with his fingers. He lifted her head so he could look at her and then moved to brush the pad of his thumb gently along her cheekbone.

"You're cute when you blush, you know that, Elena?" He asked with a genuine smile.

This of course only inspired Elena to blush further. Before she could say anything Damon leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. "Go get ready. I'll go make us some breakfast to go."

And just like that, Damon was gone and Elena was alone in his bedroom once again.

* * *

Elena sat in the passenger seat of the rental car wearing the darkest pair of sunglasses she owned and sipping blood from a pink sports bottle. Physically she was beautiful; her brown hair had been washed, dried and straightened to perfection and her makeup had been artfully applied as always, giving her a flawless yet natural look. She was dressed in a pair of shorts that left her long legs visible for Damon's inspection and a tank top that was low cut enough that he could see the perfect swell of her breasts; both of which Damon found infinitely distracting. He was pretty sure he was watching her more than he was watching the road, which given Elena's propensity for being in horrific car accidents probably wasn't a good thing, but he couldn't help himself.

Unfortunately, as beautiful as Elena looked physically, the look on her face screamed that she was downright miserable.

"Alright, I give: why do you look like somebody just drowned your kitten?" Damon asked her, turning his head momentarily so that he could look directly at her rather than just shooting her longing glances.

"Is the damned sun always this bright?" Elena groused.

Damon couldn't help it; he burst into laughter. "Yes, Elena, it's always this bright."

Elena sighed. "It's just so...so..."

"Bright?" Damon volunteered with a smirk.

Elena shot him a glare and socked him playfully on the arm. "You're not helping."

Damon chuckled. "I'm sorry, but you have to admit it's pretty funny."

Elena sighed. "I suppose. It sucks for me though."

Damon gave her a warm smile. "You'll get used to it eventually, I promise."

Elena nodded quietly and turned to look out the window again, sipping on her bottle of blood.

"So are you going to tell me what's actually wrong?"

"I told you..." Elena whined.

"That the sun is bright; yes, yes, I know. The sun doesn't have you looking this miserable though." Damon gave her a pointed look.

Elena sighed. "You're too damned insightful for your own good, you know that?"

Damon laughed. "Actually, I'm pretty sure that's a new one. Usually people are just telling me what an ass I am; yourself included, if I recall correctly."

Elena's cheeks flamed with color again. "Well, you are, sometimes..."

Damon smirked, clearly amused that he had managed to make her blush once more. "So...spill. What's making you all moody?"

Elena sighed and looked out the window, falling silent. Minutes ticked by and Damon began to wonder if she was going to answer him at all, but finally she spoke.

"It's just...I don't know how to pursue a guy." She confessed, looking mortified.

Damon laughed and she immediately shot him a glare. This actually served to quiet him; he didn't want to upset her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem that I was laughing at your concerns, it's just...that's really what you're worried about?" He arched an eyebrow curiously.

Elena nodded, licking her lips nervously. "Yes, it really is. I mean...I've never had to try and _prove _that I love anyone before; I've never even had to ask a guy out. Matt and I were friends from the time we were in elementary school and it was just sort of expected that we would start dating...and Stefan...well, you know." She shrugged. "I've never been the one who went after the guy, the guy has always come after me."

Damon smirked softly at Elena and shook his head. "Well, it seems you're in luck, Ms. Gilbert, because you happen to be talking to an expert at the art of pursuing the opposite sex."

As Damon had intended it to, the comment made Elena smile and relax a little bit. "Oh really, Mr. Salvatore? So what advice do you have to offer me?"

"Well, there's always candy and flowers." He supplied jokingly.

Elena laughed and flashed Damon a smile. "He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would appreciate candy and flowers."

"Oh? Well I guess you could always go for expensive jewelry." He teased.

Elena chuckled and shook her head. "I don't think so."

Damon gave her a warm smile. "Well then, how about just asking him out on a date?"

Elena smiled at Damon in return. "I suppose that could work. So, Mr. Salvatore, are you free this evening?"

Damon flashed Elena a dazzling grin and then reached out to take her hand in his. He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss against her skin. "For you, Ms. Gilbert, I'm always free."

Elena blushed and delicately pulled her hand back. "I'm happy to hear that, Mr. Salvatore."

"So, how should I dress for our date, Ms. Gilbert?" Damon teased, tossing her a wink.

"Casual attire should be fine, I'm sure." Elena replied with a smile.

Damon nodded. "Alright then, casual it is. Let's just hope nothing catastrophic happens to ruin our date."

Elena laughed and rolled her eyes. "It's Mystic Falls...chances are it will."

Damon sighed. "Most likely."

Elena gave him a warm smile. "But I suppose if it gets messed up we'll just have to try it again."

Damon's smile returned to his lips as he nodded his head. "I suppose you're right."

Elena's hand found it's way over to the edge of Damon's seat and rested there, barely brushing along his thigh when the car bounced over a bump in the road. The light sensation was enough to make Damon look down. His eyes lit with pleasure and he took the cue, reaching down with one hand to twine his fingers through Elena's. She squeezed his fingers gently and then turned to look out of the window again, leaving her fingers tangled with his.

Damon drove the rest of the way to the storage unit grinning like a fool. He had a date with Elena Gilbert and she was in his car, holding his hand. Who would have ever thought the day would come?

* * *

Somewhere along the way Elena had fallen asleep again. When Damon put the car into park outside of the storage center Elena's head was resting against the window of the rental car and she was snoring softly. Damon was hardly surprised; she had been through a lot lately and car rides tended to have that effect on people. He couldn't resist the impulse to gently stroke the hair away from her face and trace his fingertips along her cheek lovingly as he admired her once again. Her beauty and innocence never ceased to amaze him.

"Elena, wake up. We're here." He called softly, trying not to startle her this time.

The lulling motion of the car had ceased and Elena heard her name being called. The combination of the two things roused her, making her eyelashes flutter open and her chocolate colored eyes flicker towards the owner of the hand that was softly caressing her face. "We are?" She asked, sounding somewhat surprised. "How long was I asleep?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and then flipped down the visor and opened the mirror so that she could check to make sure her mascara hadn't smeared while she was asleep and that her hair wasn't in a rat's nest. She smoothed her hair back into place and wiped a few smudges away from under her eyes before flipping the visor back up.

"About an hour. It's alright though, you needed it. Come on; this shouldn't be too difficult." He squeezed her fingers that were still laced with his and then reluctantly let them go so he could climb out of the car. Before Elena could open her own door Damon was on the passenger side and had it open for her. He extended a hand to help her out of the car which she took gratefully.

"If I'm doing the wooing, shouldn't I be the one opening car doors?" Elena teased him with a grin.

Damon rolled his eyes at her. "That might be taking things a tad too far. I'm all for women's lib and equal rights, but I draw the line at you opening my car door for me."

Elena giggled and slid her arm through his. "Alright then, you can still open doors for me."

Damon smirked. "Why thank you, your highness, for giving me permission." He teased her as he held open the door to the storage center for her.

They both fell silent as they stepped inside of the building. The gravity of what they were there to do sobered them. Elena hadn't seen Ric since he had died and unlike her, he hadn't come back. The thought made her go a little pale and her stomach rolled.

Damon noticed Elena's trepidation and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her body into his. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head lovingly. "You don't have to see him if you don't want to. I can get the stake on my own and you can wait in the car."

Elena shook her head and drew in a deep breath, steeling herself. "No, I can do this." She smiled up at him. "Let's go."

Damon nodded and then led Elena down the aisles of storage units. He didn't stop at 1020 as he had before, but rather headed to the back where the refrigerated units were kept. He stopped in front of one marked 1132 and released his hold on Elena so that he could dial the combination into the lock. The lock released with a click and Damon pulled it off of the latch before sliding the latch open and rolling the door upwards.

Elena gulped as she saw the coffin sitting in the middle of an otherwise empty storage space. She glanced towards Damon nervously. "Where did you get the coffin?" She asked him curiously.

Damon shrugged his shoulders. "It was Klaus'."

Elena looked aghast. "You put Ric in Klaus' coffin?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "What? It's not like Klaus was using it anymore. Besides, what else was I supposed to do? Leave his dead body laying there on the floor? It's not like I had a lot of options at the time."

Elena nodded numbly and Damon softened. He stepped towards her again and placed his hands on her arms, leaning his head down towards her.

"Hey." He called softly, waiting for Elena to look up at him. When she did he continued. "I loved him too."

Elena swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "I know."

Damon brushed his hand tenderly along her cheek and then kissed her forehead. "We'll give him a proper burial in his own coffin; I promise."

Elena nodded and Damon reluctantly let her go. He headed inside of the storage unit and Elena followed close behind him, trailing him like a shadow.

Damon opened the coffin and peered inside. Ric was still laying there, looking just as he had when Damon had put him into the coffin, but the stake was gone.

Damon opened the other end of the coffin, checking to make sure that the stake hadn't somehow rolled down when he had moved Ric into the storage unit, but still no stake.

"Shit!" Damon cursed, his hands gripping the side of the coffin so hard that his knuckles turned white and Elena could hear the wood starting to snap beneath his hands.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked, her doe brown eyes filled with worry.

Damon resisted the impulse to slam the lids closed and instead respectfully shut both the top and the bottom lid on the coffin once again, sealing Ric inside once more.

"The stake is gone." Damon replied in a monotone voice.

Elena gasped softly. "What do you mean it's gone? How could it be gone? The lock was still on the door."

"I don't know!" Damon growled in frustration. Elena recoiled and he instantly regretted his anger. He moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her lovingly. Elena tensed for a moment, but only for a moment. Soon enough she wrapped her arms around Damon in return and buried her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you're just scared." The muscle in Damon's jaw twitched softly.

"Are you scared too?" Elena questioned, the sound muffled by Damon's chest.

Damon paused for a long moment and then reluctantly he nodded. "Yeah, yeah baby, I'm scared too..."

Of course he was scared. For once in his life Damon Salvatore actually had something to lose.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hooray for road trips! Okay, it wasn't really a road trip and it did have a sort of shitty ending, but you love me anyway, right? XD Hope you liked it! As always, reviews are appreciated! ^^ Stay tuned for next chapter! :)


	19. Band of Misfits

**Author's Note: **Let me start with an **IMPORTANT NOTICE: **after much deliberation on the matter I've decided to edit the story so that it complies with FanFiction's M-rating and post the uncensored MA version on **Fell's Church Library** (you should be able to Google it pretty easily, but if you have issues finding the story PM me). Please note: **the content of this chapter has not been affected**. Right now the only chapter that should be affected is Chapter 4; I'm going to leave chapter 15 as is since it's borderline. As much as it pains me to do this, with the powers that be making a stink over the M-rating I don't want to risk having the story taken down or my account removed or something of the like; I know it's not likely given the plethora of lemon filled stories on the site, but better safe than sorry. :-/

I'll still be posting on here so that you'll all get alerts when I post an update and I'll let you know in the author's note if it's a censored chapter, but any lemons will be relegated to the version posted on Fell's Church Library. Hopefully this doesn't affect readership, but if it does I understand. As I said, it pains me to do this, but I'd rather censor a little and give people the option to read uncensored elsewhere than risk the alternatives.

On a happier note, we've almost reached 250 reviews! Woohoo! Thank you so much to all you faithful readers and reviewers who have stuck by me and the story thus far. I love you all. :) And in more good news: this chapter is ridiculously long, so you should have plenty to read today. ;)

Now that all the housekeeping is out of the way, let's get on with Chapter 19! Sadly, I still don't own TVD and no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Band of Misfits  
**

"Tell me again why it is we have to meet with these plebeians?" Kol said from the couch where he was currently lounging, sprawled out with his feet kicked up over one arm and looking very much like a lazing panther waiting to strike.

Elijah didn't bother to look up from the book that he was reading as he responded to his brother. "Because, Kol, those _plebeians_, as you call them, are actually quite formidable. Unlike _our _family they know how to put aside their petty squabbles and work together. They killed Finn and who knows how many countless others and their ranks are only growing. If we hope to survive we have to rethink the way we have been doing things; trusting in our family alone hasn't exactly worked out for us, now has it?"

Kol rolled his eyes at Elijah. "That doesn't mean that trusting them is the solution to our problems. Like you said, _they killed Finn_, what makes you think they won't kill us too?"

Elijah gave a beleaguered sigh as he closed the book he had been attempting to read. "Because, Finn, they have no reason to kill us. They only killed Finn to get at Klaus and they only went after Klaus because he was threatening Elena. We pose no threat to Elena; ergo, they have no desire to kill us. That's _assuming _Rebekah can refrain from killing the girl a second time..."

Rebekah breezed in from the upper floors, perfectly primped and painted as always. She fixed Elijah with a withering glare. "I only did that because I thought Klaus was dead."

The muscle in Elijah's jaw twitched. "And if you had _listened _to me rather than running off half-cocked you would have known better."

Rebekah lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. "And if I hadn't killed her that vampire hunter would still be walking around trying to kill us all. It was for the greater good."

Kol laughed at Rebekah. "Yeah, I'm sure you had the _greater good_ at heart."

Rebekah shot Kol a glare that could have melted steel. Kol just grinned unrepentantly. Elijah gave another sigh and stood. "That's enough, Kol, Rebekah. We have someplace to be and right now we need to show _unity_; so for the next hour I expect you both to _pretend _to act your age."

Rebekah gave Elijah a haughty look while Kol laughed and sprung off of the couch, heading over to clap his brother on the shoulder. "Come now, Elijah; you know that I can't be expected to behave myself for a whole hour."

Elijah frowned at Kol's back as his brother pranced out of the front door. "That's what concerns me." He murmured to himself.

Rebekah came up behind Elijah and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Everything will be alright, Elijah. You shouldn't worry so."

Elijah gave a long exhalation of breath. "Well _one _of us has to, and it certainly isn't going to be Kol."

Rebekah smiled at Elijah and simply shrugged her shoulders as if to say _what are you going to do?_ Elijah shook his head and grabbed the car keys off of the table, trying to figure out just how to keep his siblings in line and keep any disasters from occurring at this meeting.

* * *

When the black Lincoln Navigator pulled up in front of the boarding house Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Stefan, Jeremy, Alaric and Rose were already waiting inside. Since Matt was in the worst physical condition he was on one of the couches with Bonnie and Caroline sitting on either side of him; he looked a little pale, but otherwise he was well on his way to recovery. Jeremy had taken up one of the chairs and was sitting with his sketch pad on his lap while Alaric and Rose talked over him. Stefan had been pacing the floor until the Navigator pulled into the drive, at which point he flashed to the front door and opened it before the originals could so much as exit the vehicle.

Rebekah and Kol exited first from the passenger side and Elijah was close on their heels, walking double-time to put himself in front of his siblings. If they noticed, they didn't say anything, which was a refreshing treat for Elijah. He extended his hand in greeting to Stefan as he reached him. "Stefan." He said politely.

Stefan took Elijah's hand and shook it firmly. "Elijah."

Elijah stepped inside the house so that he wasn't blocking the doorway. Stefan moved to greet the sibling that followed behind him.

"Kol." Stefan said in a clipped tone, extending his hand to the other brother.

"Stefan Salvatore." Kol said with a grin. "Back on the wagon I see?"

Elijah turned on his heel and shot Kol a deadly glare. Kol simply shrugged and slapped his hand into Stefan's, shaking it firmly. "It seems I'm getting scolded already. I can't even make polite conversation. Oh well, nice to see you again, anyway."

Stefan's jaw was tense, but he shook Kol's hand and then released him so that he could enter the house.

As Kol stepped aside the last Mikaelson sibling came into view: Rebekah. She smiled demurely at Stefan and extended her hand. Stefan took her hand and rather than shaking it, bowed to kiss the back of her hand in a courtly gesture.

"Rebekah...you look lovely as always."

In spite of herself Rebekah blushed and inclined her head politely towards Stefan. "And you look dashing, as per usual."

Stefan gave her a polite smile that was tinged with sadness as he straightened and released her hand. Rebekah stepped inside and Stefan shut the door behind the three siblings before leading them into the living room. "Damon and Elena should be here shortly. Please, make yourselves at home." Stefan said, gesturing to the empty seats that remained. Rebekah wasted no time and immediately seated herself on the vacant couch. Kol took up the chair that was as-of-yet unoccupied while Elijah stood between his siblings, keeping a wary eye on both.

A moment later the front door opened and Damon came striding in with Elena at his side. His entrance commanded the attention of everyone in the room and Elijah immediately turned to greet him with a polite inclination of his head. "Damon," he greeted warmly, "It is good to see that you listened to my advice."

Damon nodded to Elijah while everyone else looked at Damon quizzically, Elena especially. Damon leaned down to kiss her gently on the forehead in a reassuring gesture. "Later." Damon promised as Stefan flinched and turned away. Stefan's reaction went unnoticed by Elena, but not by Damon; even still, Damon didn't look in the least repentant.

Elena nodded to Damon's promise and turned her attention to the room full of people. Her breath hitched in her throat as she took in the sheer size of the gathering; it was amazing how large their band of misfits had grown.

"Should we get started then?" Elena questioned.

Elijah nodded. "If everyone is here..."

"Not yet." Caroline interjected.

A few eyebrows raised in Caroline's direction.

"We're still waiting on one more." She explained.

Before everyone could start bombarding her with questions there was another knock on the front door. This time Caroline rushed to get it and escorted Tyler into the room.

The originals for the most part looked utterly indifferent, though Elijah did spare a small smile in Caroline's direction. Bonnie, Damon and Elena didn't seem surprised, but Stefan, Jeremy and Matt's eyes widened; Alaric and Rose raised eyebrows curiously at each other, though nobody but Jeremy and them was privy to the exchange.

It was Damon who broke the silence first. "Scrappy Doo lives! What do you know?"

Tyler smirked at Damon. "Good to see you too, Damon." Tyler replied as he escorted Caroline back to her seat on the couch and remained standing by her side.

Matt flashed Tyler a smile. "Tyler, man, I don't know how you did it, but I'm glad that you're alive." He held out a hand to Tyler; Tyler accepted the hand and was immediately pulled in for a back-slapping manly hug from Matt, which he returned with considerably less awkwardness than he had the hug from Elena only a few nights before.

"Hey Tyler," Elena called sweetly.

Tyler nodded politely to Elena. "Hey Elena, I'm glad you're safe."

Elena smiled back at him. "Remind me to give you your coat back before you leave."

Tyler nodded to Elena and then turned his attention towards Jeremy as the younger Gilbert spoke. "Tyler, you're alive?"

Tyler chuckled. "So it would seem. Don't get too excited there, Jeremy."

Jeremy's mouth curled up slightly at the corner. "You're still a dick." He replied.

Tyler smirked at him. "And you're still a loser."

Jeremy tossed Tyler the bird before Rebekah's voice cut through the chit-chat. "As touching as all of this is, I was told we have business to attend to?" She arched one blonde eyebrow curiously.

Bonnie nodded. "We do."

Damon clapped his hands together. "Well then, let's get this show on the road. Who wants to go first?"

Stefan moved to awkwardly take a seat near Rebekah. Rebekah spared a glance towards him, tilting her head to the side and giving him a quizzical look, but quickly turned away again as she endeavored to focus on the matter at hand.

Elena cleared her throat. "How about we start by establishing what we already know."

Elijah nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

Elena licked her lips softly. "Alaric is dead." She began.

Jeremy nodded his head. "I can confirm that."

The originals peered at him curiously.

"Jeremy is a medium." Bonnie explained.

Jeremy nodded. "I see dead people." He explained with a nervous chuckle.

Rose groaned. "_Really? _Sixth Sense jokes?"

Alaric nodded and gave her a sympathetic look. "That was a pretty awful joke. You really need to work on your standup there, Jeremy. At this rate you're going to be the social pariah of Mystic Falls."

Jeremy rolled his eyes at the two ghosts. "Can we maybe _not _do this right now?" Jeremy asked them.

Eyebrows lifted all around as Jeremy talked to the thin air, but his odd behavior was quickly dismissed in favor of more pressing matters.

"Klaus is dead." Stefan added, picking up where Elena had left off.

"Ah...well...not quite." Elijah responded.

A chorus of _what's _broke out around the room, from the living and the dead alike.

Caroline squeezed Tyler's hand for reassurance and he placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder.

Bonnie did her best to _not _look nervous as she added: "He's right...Klaus is alive."

This time everyone's eyes turned to Bonnie.

"Care to share how you know this, Sabrina?" Damon asked skeptically. He had already wondered just what the witch was up to when she wanted '_alone time_' with Klaus; now he knew that his suspicions were well founded.

Bonnie drew in a deep breath. "I did a spell to put Klaus in a different body before Alaric staked him, to save all of you." She let her eyes trail across her friends who would now be dead were it not for her intervention, reminding them of why she had done this.

"And you didn't think that we might need to know that?" Damon questioned with a raised brow.

Bonnie set her face into a determined look. "I couldn't tell you; the more people who knew, the more danger all of you were in."

The wheels in Elena's head were turning. "But Tyler, you said that Bonnie did a spell to save you from dying along with Klaus..."

Bonnie looked alarmed for a moment; clearly this wasn't something that she had calculated into her admission; Tyler, on the other hand, looked completely calm and composed.

"She did. Bonnie didn't know if the spell had worked, especially when I was in so much pain. She did the other spell as a safeguard to make sure that I was safe if the other spell didn't work. Apparently it wasn't necessary."

Bonnie nodded numbly. "That's right."

Elijah gave Bonnie a skeptical look, but he didn't say anything on the matter just yet. Elena too, looked suspicious, but she trusted Bonnie. If she was hiding something Elena knew there must be a reason for it, so she didn't question her.

Damon was not so trusting. "So Judgy, whose body did you happen to put Klaus in?"

Bonnie frowned at him. "I can't tell you."

"You _can't_, or you _won't_?" Damon snarled.

Bonnie stood her ground. "Does it matter? Either way I'm not telling you."

Damon looked like he might lunge at Bonnie, but Elena's hand on his chest prevented him from doing so. "Damon, don't. I'm sure Bonnie has a good reason for what she's doing."

Damon calmed a little, but he didn't look particularly happy about it. "Yeah, everyone's got a good reason for doing everything, but that doesn't change the fact that when people go making decisions on their own and undermining the group as a whole it blows up in our faces."

Bonnie spoke: "Look, I'm not trying to undermine the group, Damon. I want to keep you all safe and right now the best way I know to do that is to keep Klaus' identity a secret. If nobody knows where to find him then nobody knows how to kill him."

Damon set his mouth into a thin line, but after a moment he reluctantly nodded. "Fine. As much as I don't like it, witchy has a point; if somebody is hunting Klaus, it's best that we don't know where he is."

"And just what makes us think that somebody is hunting Klaus?" Kol chimed in to ask.

"Kol has a point. Our mother is dead and while I might not mind seeing my brother desiccating in box for a few hundred years just to make us even, I certainly don't want him dead. Do you Kol? Elijah?" Rebekah added.

"Only on days that end in y." Kol replied with a smirk.

"No." Elijah replied more seriously.

"So who does that leave?" Rebekah questioned, raising her eyebrows curiously.

"The witches, or their spirits at least." Bonnie replied. "Your mother may be dead, but she was as good as dead when she was daggered before. She's the one who whipped the other dead witches into a frenzy the last time that she was on the other side and now that she's dead again it has only gotten worse."

"And how do you know this, Bonnie?" Elijah questioned.

Bonnie frowned. "To be honest, I don't. Right now all I have are strong suspicions; but if the witches wanted you all dead before it's a safe bet to say that they still do. Ever since I helped your brother they've been blocking me out; I think they're planning something."

"Planning _what?_ They're dead. What can a bunch of dead witches do?" Rebekah asked.

Bonnie shook her head softly. "On their own? Not much, but with a conduit? Well...a lot."

Kol broke in. "So how do we kill a bunch of dead witches?"

"We can't." Bonnie replied grimly. "The best we can do is keep the stake away from them and try to ferret out whoever it is they plan to use to do their dirty work."

"Yeah, about that stake..." Damon interjected in a sarcastic tone. "It's gone."

Suddenly all eyes were on Damon.

"What do you mean _it's gone?_" Rebekah snapped at him.

Damon looked down at Elena. "Did I stutter? I'm fairly certain I didn't stutter."

Rebekah growled at Damon. "Cut the crap, Damon. How could you let that stake out of your hands?"

Damon rolled his eyes at Rebekah. "I don't know, Blondie, maybe because you were off _killing my girlfriend?_ It's not like you stuck around to try and get the stake off of Ric, now did you? You high-tailed it on out of there and went to go kill Elena."

Several eyebrows lifted as Damon referred to Elena as his girlfriend, but nobody dared interject into the heated debate.

"Which _killed _Alaric." Rebekah rebutted.

"Well thanks, Rebekah; you're all heart! What next? Are you going to drop a nuclear bomb to kill a cockroach?" Damon snapped back at her.

"Am I the only one perturbed to hear them discussing my death so casually?" Ric questioned.

"And my sister's." Jeremy replied.

"**Enough!**" Elijah interjected. Rebekah and Damon both fell silent, Rebekah looking like an errant child that had been scolded and Damon just looking like he wanted to rip Rebekah's pretty little throat out.

"Damon, do you think that you could _kindly _inform us of the circumstances under which the stake was lost?" Elijah asked once he had everyone's attention.

Elena twined her fingers with Damon's and squeezed his hand reassuringly. She could feel the fine tremors of anger running through his body and she knew how hard he was working to control himself. Her touch seemed to calm him, if only minutely. After a moment he drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly before beginning his reply.

"After Rebekah killed Elena and Alaric died, I knew I had to get back to Elena. I took the chains out of Klaus' coffin and put Ric and the stake in the coffin. I found an empty cold storage unit and put the coffin in it and then compelled one of the humans that was working there to put a lock on the unit and to rent it to me. Once he was done he was to call me with the combination and forget that the whole thing had ever happened. When I went back to get the stake this morning the lock was locked and the coffin was still there with Ric in it, but the stake was gone."

Rose gave a dry laugh. "Now you really are just like luggage, Ric. They've put you in storage."

Alaric shot her a glare. "I'm glad you find this amusing."

Rose grinned at him and moved to wrap an arm around his shoulders. "Aww, don't take it so hard, Ric. At least you _have _a body still; you could have gone up in flames like Klaus did."

"That's _really _reassuring Rose, thanks." Alaric groused.

Rose grinned at him and kissed his cheek impulsively. "Anytime, Ric."

Jeremy arched an eyebrow curiously at the two ghosts, but he didn't comment on their exchange.

"So the stake disappeared from a locked storage unit that nobody but you knew about." Elijah summarized.

"He could be lying; they could just be hiding the stake from us." Kol suggested.

Damon shot Kol a glare. "And what good would that do us? We stake any one of you and we kill hundreds or thousands of other vampires, some of which might be our friends; and in the end we've still got to let Klaus live if we're not completely suicidal. No offense, but you're not that important."

Kol put a hand to his chest and gave Damon a shocked look. "I'm wounded." He teased Damon with a grin.

"We could only hope." Rebekah chimed in snidely.

Elijah sighed in exasperation at his siblings. It really was like babysitting toddlers; toddlers who had serious attitude problems, violent tempers and foul mouths.

"I think we can safely assume that Damon is not, in fact, lying to us." He looked towards Elena. "Is he, Elena?"

Elena shook her head softly. "No."

Elijah raised his hands as if to say _there you have it_.

"And why exactly do we believe her?" Kol asked.

Elijah smirked softly. "Because, dear brother, deception is not Elena's forte; now, _move on_."

Kol eyed Elena as if she was something he would scrape off of the bottom of his shoe, but he let the matter drop.

"So what are we supposed to do about all of this?" Matt interjected, feeling a little out of place; he was one of the few humans in the room and the only one with absolutely no exceptional powers, unless a strong throwing arm counted as supernatural these days.

"That's an excellent question, Matt." Rebekah encouraged him with a smile.

Matt shifted a little uncomfortably. Once upon a time he had liked Rebekah, but after the business with Kol and his crushed hand he was understandably wary of her and her family.

"Bonnie, you know the most about the witches, what do you think?" Stefan questioned, leaning towards Bonnie to show that he was listening intently.

Bonnie bit down on her lower lip nervously, uncomfortable with being put in the spotlight. After a long moment of silence she spoke. "Well I think the first thing we should do is look into who the witches might use as their conduit."

Kol rolled his eyes. "And how, exactly, do we go about that?"

"Kol..." Elijah cautioned.

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Rebekah chirped in a saccharine voice before smirking at Kol.

Kol gave her a '_haha, so funny' _look.

"The grimoires." Tyler murmured.

Immediately heads snapped to look at Tyler; looks of confusion began to form on everyone's face.

"The grimoires." Bonnie said louder, trying to distract everyone from Tyler's slip up. "Every family of witches has one; I'm sure Esther must have had one as well. If I can look at it, maybe I can find some clues about who the witches might use as a conduit. I might even be able to find a way to stop them."

Elijah nodded. "Then you shall have our mother's grimoire."

Bonnie nodded gratefully.

"Elijah!" Rebekah protested.

"I _said_, Bonnie will have our mother's grimoire; not to keep, of course, but to use until this issue is resolved." Elijah reiterated. "This is not up for discussion." He said, peering at Rebekah.

Rebekah huffed with irritation. "You're acting like Klaus, Elijah, trying to boss everyone around!"

Elijah shot Rebekah a glare. "Before you compare me with Klaus, Rebekah, remember who it was that put a dagger through your heart and remember who pulled that dagger from your heart and released you from your slumber. I don't wish to control you and Kol; I wish to protect you, from your own worst impulses if necessary. If you have any _doubt _as to my intentions you are welcome to leave at any time; I will not stop you."

Rebekah lowered her head, looking sufficiently chastised. "No, brother, you're right. You have always had our best interests at heart."

Kol rolled his eyes. "Life's too boring without you two; if you want to call the shots, Elijah, I'm not about to get in your way. You can play the responsible older brother while I go get into trouble and find pretty ladies to have my way with." He tossed Bonnie a wink and was immediately met with a deadpan gaze from the witch.

"Not in your best dreams." Bonnie said flatly.

Elijah nodded. "Then it's settled. We will locate mother's grimoire. When we have it we will contact you and arrange to turn the grimoire over to Bonnie until a permanent solution for our problem can be found."

One by one everyone began to nod their heads.

"And in the meantime?" Elena questioned nervously.

"In the meantime we go on with our daily lives. Be vigilant, but do not let this change your routine. This war will come to our front door one way or another; we will do our best to be prepared, but we must continue to lead our lives as well. We need to rest and gather our strength before we go into battle, and if the worst should happen..." Elijah trailed off.

Everyone fell silent for a moment before Tyler spoke up. "We've all had our fair share of brushes with death...we know what this means. This isn't going to be an easy battle...if there's something that you want to do; you should probably take this time to do it."

Elijah nodded, peering at the boy in an assessing fashion. "Precisely."

The room fell silent and took on a subdued tone.

"I don't believe I've ever felt so lucky to be dead." Rose chimed in, breaking the silence for Jeremy and Ric.

Ric laughed and nodded. "Tell me about it."

Jeremy shook his head softly at the two, giving a small chuckle at their banter in spite of himself.

The chuckle broke the heavy silence and gave Elena the courage to smile and address those who were gathered in the room. "Well, I think that we've addressed everything that we can for now. Thank you, everyone, for coming."

Elijah nodded and then gave a polite bow to Elena. "It is my pleasure, as always, Elena."

Elena smiled at him and Elijah smiled back at her as he straightened. "Rebekah, Kol, I believe it is time for us to depart." Elijah said in an authoritative voice.

Kol hopped spryly from his chair. "Don't have to tell me twice. Goodbye, everyone!" He called with a wave before skipping out of the door.

Rebekah was not so hasty to depart. She stood, smoothing out her skirt, and then turned towards Stefan. Stefan stood as well. "It was nice to see you again, Stefan." Rebekah said with a nervous smile.

Stefan gave her a small smile in return. "You as well, Rebekah." He said crisply.

Rebekah hesitated for a moment and then leaned in to give Stefan a soft kiss on the cheek. Stefan's immediate reaction was to flicker his gaze towards Elena; Elena looked entirely unperturbed, but Rebekah noticed and looked a little hurt.

"Well, I suppose I'll see you around." She said before quickly turning on her heel and departing.

Elijah gave one last inclination of his head towards the room before following his siblings out.

Caroline stood and looked around the room for a moment. "Well...Bonnie and I need to take Matt home." She said, making her excuse to leave.

Bonnie nodded her agreement and together the two girls helped the star quarter back to stand. Once he was on his feet they started bidding their goodbyes.

"I'll see you guys soon. Call me if you need me, okay Elena?" Caroline said with a smile.

"Same goes for me, Elena." Bonnie said with a smile towards Elena before flickering her gaze towards Jeremy for a brief moment.

"I'd say me too, but my phone got a little drenched." Matt said with a chuckle. "I'm really glad you're okay though, Elena; if you need me, you know where to find me. You guys take good care of her." He said the last as he looked between Damon and Stefan. Both vampires nodded.

The trio began to depart, but just before they made it out the door Tyler grabbed Caroline by the arm and pulled her back. Caroline gasped at the sudden contact and whirled around in surprise. Bonnie and Matt stopped in their tracks and turned to look as well.

"I just need to borrow her for a minute, okay guys? Can we get some privacy, please?"

Bonnie looked to Caroline for a moment. Caroline nodded and Bonnie nodded back in acknowledgement before wrapping an arm around Matt's torso. "Come on, big guy; let's get you in the car." She said as she led him out the front door.

Tyler placed his hands on Caroline's arms. "Look, Care, it's me."

Caroline blinked. "You mean _you-_you?" She questioned.

Tyler nodded. "Yeah."

Caroline tossed her arms around Tyler's neck and kissed him enthusiastically, her lips molding passionately against his. Tyler blinked in surprise, but after a moment of shock he wrapped his arms around Caroline's waist and pulled her close to him.

When they came up for air they were both a little breathless and their lips were bruised.

"I know you have to take Matt home now, but can we meet up later and talk?"

Caroline nodded. "Of course."

"Eight o'clock?" Tyler questioned.

Caroline smiled. "It's a date."

Tyler smiled back. "I'll pick you up at your house?"

Caroline nodded. "Sounds good."

"See you then." Tyler said before pressing one last kiss to Caroline's cheek and releasing her. Caroline scampered off quickly.

"My jacket?" Tyler questioned Elena.

Elena smiled. "I'll go grab it for you."

Elena trotted upstairs and retrieved Tyler's jacket before heading back down and handing it off to him. "Thanks Elena." Tyler said, giving her a nod.

Tyler tossed a wave at those who remained in the household before making his own exit.

Jeremy stood and approached Elena. He paused for a moment, looking her over, and then gave her a smile. "You look good, sis. Being undead suits you."

Elena chuckled and shook her head at him. "Undead or not, I'm still your big sister. If you act like a smart ass I'm obligated to kick your ass."

Jeremy grinned. "Yeah right; you can try."

Elena smirked at him. "I can do more than try now. I'm a vampire, remember?"

Jeremy grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. Some family tree we have, huh sis?"

Elena laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

Jeremy looked between Elena and Damon for a moment before letting his eyes settle back on his sister. "So...are you coming home now?"

Elena paused for a moment, looking up at Damon, before looking back to her brother. "Not _just _yet, Jeremy, but soon; I promise."

Jeremy grinned at her and shook his head. "No rush. I've got the house all to myself; if it weren't for the ghosts I'd be living every boy's teenage dream."

"Alaric?" Elena questioned, biting down on the inside of her lip.

"And Rose." Jeremy replied.

"They're together?" Elena questioned.

Jeremy blushed. "Well not _together_, together, but yeah. They talk to each other." Jeremy frowned, seeming to puzzle something over. "Come to think of it...that's sort of weird. Vickie and Anna could never see each other."

At this revelation Rose and Alaric both peered at each other questioningly. After a moment Rose shrugged.

"Haven't a clue." She said.

"That makes two of us." Alaric agreed.

Elena shook her head softly. "Well that's sort of weird, but I guess that's not really the problem we should be worrying about right now, huh?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah...that's kind of the least of our problems."

"Definitely the least of _your _problems, Gilbert." Damon teased him with a smirk.

Jeremy rolled his eyes at Damon. "Yeah, thanks, I appreciate that."

"Anytime." Damon said with a grin and a wink.

Jeremy spared a glance towards Stefan, who was uncharacteristically quiet, before turning his attention back towards his sister. "Well, I guess I'm going to head home then...I love you, Elena."

Elena enveloped Jeremy in a hug. Both Stefan and Damon watched nervously, making sure that Elena didn't lose control, but everything seemed fine.

"I love you too, Jeremy. I'm always here for you, okay? Anytime, day or night."

Jeremy wrapped his arms around Elena in return. "I know, sis. Just knock first, right?" Jeremy asked with a grin as he pulled back from the hug. Elena punched him playfully on the arm and was greeted with a real grimace.

"Ouch! Geeze Elena, try not to kill me, okay?"

Elena blushed and flashed Jeremy a sheepish grin. "Sorry Jer, I guess I don't know my own strength yet."

Jeremy nodded and then flashed his sister a smile. "Yeah, well, when you get it under control let me know. Until then I'm gonna' get out of here before my smart mouth gets me in trouble. Later sis." Jeremy tossed Elena a wink and then slipped out of the house, getting into his sister's car and driving off.

Finally it was just Damon, Stefan and Elena alone in the house.

They all remained quiet for a moment, nobody sure of exactly what to say. After a moment Stefan broke the silence.

"Well...I think I'm going to go to the Grill...get something to drink."

Stefan turned to go, his hands shoved into his pockets. Before he reached the door Elena called out to him.

"Stefan!"

Damon's heart sank in his chest. This was it...the moment when Elena flip-flopped once again and went back to his brother's side.

Stefan turned back towards Elena and their eyes met. Damon could practically see this disaster before it played out. It took everything he had in him not to just turn and run out the door so he didn't have to see it first hand.

"Yes, Elena?" Stefan questioned.

Elena smiled at Stefan. Damon wanted to punch something.

"Rebekah...she's not as bad as I thought. She's actually a really nice girl." Elena volunteered.

"She tried to kill you." Stefan said with a puzzled look upon his face.

Damon's mind raced to try and keep up with the situation. Was Elena talking about _Rebekah?_

Elena smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, well, who hasn't?" She asked with a nervous chuckle.

And just like that Stefan burst into laughter. "I suppose you have a point."

Elena flashed Stefan a grin and he stepped back towards her. He put a hand on her arm and leaned in towards her, lowering his head towards her as he gazed into her eyes.

Damon vibrated with tension. Was Stefan _purposely _trying to provoke him?

"I'll always love you, you know." Stefan said as he brushed the back of his index finger down Elena's cheek.

He was going to kill him. Damon was absolutely going to kill his own brother; consequences be damned.

"I'll always love you too, Stefan." Elena said in return, her doe brown eyes peering up at Stefan.

Damon could feel the knife twisting in his chest. Did they really have to do this in front of him?

"Goodbye, Elena." Stefan said as he leaned in and kissed Elena's cheek.

"Goodbye, Stefan." Elena replied.

Stefan stepped back and looked between Elena and his brother. "Have fun; you two deserve it. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Elena nodded. "Thanks, Stefan. We'll see you tomorrow."

Damon just stood there, trying and failing to process what was happening. All he could see was red.

Stefan turned and stepped out the front door, shutting it behind him. Damon continued to stand there for a long time; so long that Elena was forced to snap her fingers in front of his face.

"Hey! Earth paging Damon!"

The red haze faded from in front of Damon's eyes and suddenly he was able to focus again; to breathe again. He blinked and then looked down at Elena.

"I thought that pagers were yesterday's news?" Damon teased half-heartedly as he tried to reconcile himself with what had just happened. Elena was going back to Stefan, just like he always knew she would, but where had his brother gone?

"Well I had to get your attention somehow! You keep standing there like a statue and we're not going to have enough time to go out on our date."

"Date?" Damon questioned, utterly confused.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Yes, date, remember? I'm supposed to be proving that I love you and all of that?"

"But Stefan..." Damon protested.

Elena gave him a look that clearly suggested he was one fry short of a Happy Meal. "Stefan just left. He'll be back tomorrow."

Damon stared at Elena uncomprehendingly. "You're not going back to him?"

Elena smiled at Damon and placed a hand gently against his cheek. "No, Damon, I'm not going back to him."

Damon just stared at Elena for a moment, stunned beyond words. She wasn't running back to his brother...she was staying with him.

His lips crashed down against hers in a hungry, desperate kiss. Elena returned the kiss in kind, wrapping her arms around Damon's neck and molding her body to his. He lifted her up and spun her around exuberantly, making her squeal and break the kiss. He laughed with pleasure and then slowly placed Elena back down on the floor.

"You're really not leaving me for Stefan?" He questioned once again.

Elena shook her head softly. "No, Damon."

Damon laughed and kissed her again, pressing his mouth to hers in yet another searing kiss. Elena groaned, feeling tingles from head to toe, but eventually she summoned the strength to shove him away.

"Stop that! I'm supposed to be wooing you, remember?"

Damon laughed and leaned down to kiss her again. Elena resisted at first, but it was only a token resistance; her mouth quickly went pliant under his and their bodies were quickly entwined once again. This time it was Damon who broke the kiss.

"Consider me wooed," he said in a husky voice as his glacial blue eyes peered down into her deep chocolate pools.

Elena smiled up at him. "Well, that was the easiest wooing ever." Elena teased. "But you're not getting out of our date, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon grinned at her. "Oh really, Ms. Gilbert?"

Elena nodded her head. "Mmmhmm."

Damon smirked at Elena. "Fine, but I get to decide where we go and what we do."

Elena's eyebrows lifted. "Oh really? I though I was supposed to be the one planning this date so that I could woo you?"

Damon chuckled and leaned down to nip at her neck. "Already wooed, remember?"

Elena shivered at the sensation of his teeth dragging along her skin. Her breath hitched in her throat. "Fine, you can plan the date."

Damon grinned mischievously. "I knew you'd let me have my way, Ms. Gilbert."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "Don't push your luck, _Mr. Salvatore_."

Damon chuckled and held up his hands. "Alright, alright. Point taken."

Elena nodded her head, satisfied. "So since you're planning the date now, Mr. Salvatore, how should I dress?"

Damon gave Elena a lascivious grin and did that thing with his eyebrows that Elena so loved. "Well I prefer you naked..."

Elena looked down her nose at him.

"But that will have to wait for later. Wear something nice and take your time getting ready, I've got plans to make."

Elena bobbed her head softly. "What sort of timeline am I working on?"

Damon looked around for a clock to see what time it was; just a little before two, it seemed.

"Five o'clock?" Damon ventured. He knew women were notorious for taking quite some time to get ready and in this case he was going to need some time himself; not for primping and polishing, but rather to make the plans that were necessary to ensure their evening would be one to remember.

Elena nodded her head. "That should be more than enough time."

Damon smiled at her. "Five o'clock it is then."

Elena nodded and then retreated upstairs to begin getting ready. Damon watched her go and then shook his head in amazement.

"She finally picked me." He said to himself, as if saying it would make it real somehow.

The witches were out to kill him and everyone he loved, but Damon had never been happier than in that moment.

Elena Gilbert had finally decide that he was worthy of her love.

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Author's Note: And now we all breathe a big, collective _aww!_ LOL! Hope you liked it. As always, reviews are appreciated. :)


	20. Black Rose

**Author's Note: **Sorry this has taken so long guys! It has been a little crazy for me these past couple of days and I've been having some _serious _writer's block, not to mention great frustration trying to figure out how to work having an M-version and an MA-version and preserving the integrity of both.

Lucky for you guys AlanaLE is awesome and helped to get me out of my funk with her always supportive reviews and PMs, so this chapter is dedicated to her. I also want to give a shout-out to Paige, my unregistered reviewer from Chapter 19, and much love as always to all my readers and reviewers. You guys keep me writing.

Because of the layout of the date (and the length I know it's going to be) I've decided to break it up over two chapters, so you get your first dose today (even if it's super late, sorry!) and I'll finish it up tomorrow. This chapter has not been censored, but I expect Chapter 21 will be. The uncensored version will be posted on Fell's Church Library and Adultfanfiction . net.

Regrettably I still don't own The Vampire Diaries and as always no copyright infringement is intended. That being said, let's get on with Chapter 20!

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**Chapter 20: Black Rose**

Damon stood nervously at the bottom of the stairs, anxiously awaiting Elena's presence. All the necessary preparations had been made for their evening and he had finished cleaning up and dressing himself what felt like hours ago, though in truth it had been only minutes. He was dressed impeccably in a pair of black slacks and a matching black long-sleeved button-up shirt with the top few buttons left open so that he looked dashing without being overly formal. He had considered wearing a jacket just because he wanted to impress Elena, but after considering the summer heat he had dismissed the idea. He had no doubt that he was attractive and he knew that Elena wouldn't care about him putting on airs for her; she just wasn't that type of girl.

When she came down the stairs, Damon started to regret his decision. However handsome women found him, he couldn't imagine that any man was worthy of this goddess; not even him, _especially not him_. The very sight of her made him want to be a better man just so that he could be worthy of her love.

He had seen Elena a hundred times before and yet he knew that the image of her just then would be emblazoned on his mind until the day he died, whether that was later this week or in a hundred-thousand years. She had chosen a nude colored dress with a black lace overlay that hugged her form so exquisitely that Damon almost could have believed that the dress was made of lace alone had it not been for his inability to see certain features of her anatomy. The cut of the dress exposed one of Elena's shoulders and much of her long, luscious legs, but it was not so revealing as to be distasteful. It was both sexy and refined and while Damon had seen Elena in many enticing dresses before, he couldn't help but to think that this one time surpassed all the rest; tonight she didn't look like the beautiful girl that he had come to love, but rather like a gorgeous woman. _His _woman. He'd never seen a sight so beautiful or wanted another woman more.

Elena smiled at him a little nervously as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "You're not saying anything." She said, her brown eyes filled with worry. Obviously she was as nervous as he.

Damon held out a hand to her and waited for her to take it before bowing and kissing her hand in a courtly manner. "That's because there are no words, Elena. I couldn't do you justice."

Elena blushed and suddenly he was reminded that while she was quickly growing into the woman he had always dreamed she would be, Elena was barely eighteen; that was alright though, because just then he felt a lot like a besotted teenager himself.

Elena reached a hand up to her hair nervously. "Is my hair okay? I thought about curling it, but you said before that you like it better straight and…" She cut herself off, not voicing her other concerns.

Katherine. That bitch. Damon would have liked to rip her heart from her chest about then; or perhaps it was his own heart that he should be ripping out for being such a fool as to think that he was in love with her. Katherine was nothing but a pale imitation of Elena and yet Elena lived every day in her shadow, worrying that either she was too much like Katherine or not enough like her.

Damon straightened and reached out to gently brush the pin-straight strands of hair away from Elena's face. "Your hair is perfect, Elena, just like the rest of you. If I could only have one memory of you it would be of the way you look right now."

Elena smiled sweetly, feeling her heart flutter in her chest. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm herself. "Thank you, Damon. You don't look so bad yourself." She teased him with a grin, trying to make light of the situation for fear that she would turn as red as a lobster otherwise.

Damon laughed and flashed Elena a grin. "Well, I'm pleased to hear that I _don't look so bad_."

Elena grew flustered just as Damon had imagined she would. He couldn't help but to grin at the sight and reach out to gently brush his thumb along her reddened cheek.

"So…what do you have planned for this evening, Mr. Salvatore?" Elena asked, trying to redirect him.

Damon turned slightly and offered his arm to her. "I'm pleased you asked, Ms. Gilbert."

"So?" Elena asked.

"So?" Damon echoed as a mirthful smile danced across his lips.

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "What are we doing?"

Damon chuckled. "So impatient; I said that I was pleased you asked, not that I was going to actually answer."

Elena looked down her nose at him in an '_are you kidding me?_' fashion.

Damon grinned at her unrepentantly. "If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise."

Elena huffed and rolled her eyes at him. "Fine, I won't spoil your surprise."

Damon smiled at Elena. "Why thank you, Ms. Gilbert."

He led Elena out of the front door. Parked in the driveway directly in front of the front doors of the boarding house was the Camaro, looking as shiny and perfect as the day it had the day it rolled off of the factory line.

Elena's eyes went wide with surprise. "How did you manage to get it back so quickly?"

Damon grinned at Elena. "I have my ways. I couldn't let my baby languish in the shop. Besides, rental cars are _so _not sexy."

Elena laughed as he led her down to the car and then opened her door for her.

Lying on her seat was a single burgundy colored rose, its edges so dark that they appeared almost black. Elena reached down to gently pluck the flower from the seat, holding it up so that she could examine it more closely and smell its scent. Unlike some roses she had smelled it wasn't saccharine sweet, but rather carried a faint smell that she might not have even been able to detect had she still been human; as a vampire it was an exquisite scent, faint but delicious and somehow richer than the smell of a typical rose. Its petals were velvety soft against her lips and nose and made her want to brush her skin along them. The rose was dark, yes, but it was entirely unique; it was entirely like Damon in that regard and she imagined that like Damon, this dark flower's true beauty often went unrecognized.

"It's a Black Baccara rose; the darkest red rose in existence and the closest to black that there is. Most of the time it's used as a symbol of death and mourning, but it can also be used as a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings. I thought it was appropriate."

Elena smiled at him from over the top of the rose. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She moved to place the rose delicately on the dashboard so that she could sit without injuring the flower, but as she did she pricked herself on one of the thorns. She gasped at the small prick, surprised by how sharply she felt even the faintest sensations; pain included.

The smell of blood filtered into the air and even though it was her own Elena found that the scent was still enough to spark her darker instincts, making her fangs extend and the veins around her eyes darken. Elena turned away, embarrassed by her lack of control and what she imagined must be a quite grotesque appearance. Damon didn't seem in the least perturbed though; if anything he seemed enticed. He reached out and gently grasped her by the wrist, lifting her injured hand upwards.

Elena glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, perplexed by his grasp on her wrist. Before she could question what he was doing Damon's warm mouth wrapped around her finger and his tongue swirled around the tip, licking away the blood and soothing the wound. It was just her fingertip, it shouldn't have been erotic, but something in the way that Damon's eyes burned up at her as his tongue gently caressed her flesh turned the experience into something just as intimate as if they had been naked together in the bedroom.

Elena sucked in a sharp breath and licked her lips nervously, trying to calm herself. They weren't even five minutes into their date and she was about to tell him to forget about it and take her back into the house; at this rate they would never leave the bedroom. The thought sent a thrill of pleasure down her spine. Damon smiled knowingly, as if he could read her thoughts; perhaps he could, because Elena was certain it must be written all over her face.

Damon reluctantly pulled his mouth off of Elena's finger and placed a gentle kiss on her index finger where she had pricked herself. "You'll grow used to the sensations eventually; everything will always be sharper than when you were a human, but it won't be so surprising. And there are good points, of course…pain is sharper, yes, but so is pleasure." To demonstrate this fact Damon leaned in towards Elena. He brushed her hair back over her shoulder, moving it away from her neck, and slid his gaze over the smooth, unblemished column of flesh before leaning down to softly brush his lips along the sensitive skin.

He heard Elena's indrawn breath and could smell the rich scent of her desire. Resisting the impulse to do more, to take her inside and ravish her as he so wanted, took more control than Damon had ever thought he possessed; but somehow he managed. He pulled away after giving her the briefest, softest kiss on her neck, leaving them both shaking.

"You'll learn to resist the blood too." He paused and placed a gentle hand against Elena's cheek. "But no matter what, Elena, you never have to hide your face from me. There is _nothing _that could make you anything less than beautiful in my eyes."

Elena smiled up at him. The way he looked at her…it was as if she was the only woman in the world. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have ever taken this for granted?

One thing was for certain, she never would again.

Elena opened her mouth to say something, but as she did Damon reached out and gently placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her towards the car. "Come on, let's get going. We have a lot of driving to do and not much time."

Elena's mouth slid closed again and she gave a brief nod. "Alright."

She slipped into the car and buckled herself in as Damon took his place behind the steering wheel. As he slid the key into the ignition and started the car Elena reached out to pluck the rose from the dashboard.

Damon had said that it was a symbol of death and rebirth. Elena had died and been reborn as a vampire, but it was more than that. When Elena Gilbert had died so had her relationship with Stefan Salvatore; she hadn't known it at the time, but it was true. And when she had been reborn as a vampire, her relationship with Damon had begun in truth. Now she couldn't imagine a life without him.

She looked up at Damon from beneath her thick, dark eyelashes, letting her eyes trace lovingly over his face: his startling blue eyes, his strong jaw, his gorgeous and oh-so-kissable lips. There wasn't a thing about Damon Salvatore that she didn't love, even his flaws. Her heart belonged to him, well and truly.

Elena Gilbert was dead. Tonight, she became Elena Salvatore; maybe not in name, but in her heart. Whether they lived or died, they would do it together, and Damon would know that finally he had found someone who loved and cherished him above all others.

Damon turned those deep blue eyes towards Elena and peered at her quizzically. "What?"

Elena smiled and shook her head softly. "It's nothing."

Damon arched one eyebrow quizzically. "That didn't look like a _nothing _look."

Elena smirked. "Well if you had been paying attention to the _road _like you're supposed to you wouldn't have seen it."

Damon rolled his eyes at her. "Well _excuse me_, princess. Some of us can actually drive _and _look at someone at the same time."

Elena smirked back at him. "Uh huh…which is why your car ended up in a ditch, right?"

Damon looked hurt. "Ouch! Below the belt, Elena. Besides, I definitely wasn't looking at someone then."

Elena smiled. "Touché. Even still…eyes on the road, Romeo."

Damon rolled his eyes at her. "Fine, but if I can't look at you I should at least get to touch you."

Elena raised an eyebrow curiously towards Damon. "Oh? And just how do you intend to do that?" She asked as she gazed at him with a sultry look. She uncrossed her legs and dragged the soft petals of the rose down her neck and chest subtly.

Damon couldn't help but to look and was immediately scolded for it. "Eyes on the road, remember?" She asked him with a smirk.

Damon gave a low growl. "Then stop being so distracting."

Elena burst into laughter and Damon grinned in spite of himself. After a moment Elena rolled her eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, alright."

She held out her hand to him in offering. Damon smiled and happily slid his hand into hers, holding her smaller hand in his own and gently stroking his thumb along the back of her hand.

For that one moment, everything was perfect in Damon and Elena's world. They rode together in silence, holding hands and lingering in their own thoughts. In spite of the challenges that they knew were ahead, in spite of the fear of what was to come that lingered in the back of their minds, for this one night they were at peace; for this one night they were resolved:

Everything was going to change.

And after tonight, neither of them would ever be alone again.

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**Author's Note: **There you have it folks, part one of the date; okay, so it's more like the prelude to the date, but still good stuff I hope! Stay tuned for the proper date next chapter and as always, reviews are appreciated! :D


	21. Sunset Cannons

**Author's Note:** So here we are at Chapter 21! :D Time for Damon and Elena's proper date! Before we get going though, a few shout-outs: joining my multi-review club this time around are diehardromantic and my unregistered reviewer, Paige. Thanks so much for showing your support, guys! ^^ I also want to give lots of love to my first FCL reviewer, Betty Baxter! Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed, favorited and alerted to show your support. :)

I also want to say: **woohoo over 100 favs!** Thank you guys for making this fic a success! As always, I'm truly grateful to everyone who reads and especially to those who make an effort to show their support for me and the story.

A little note: I lied. I thought that I was going to get the date into two chapters, but it seems like it's going to be at least 3, maybe 4. The good news is, more juicy Delena-ness for you! The bad news is...well, okay, there isn't really any bad news. XD This chapter hasn't been censored, but I still expect that there will be censoring in chapters to come. I'll let you know when/if there is.

I still don't own TVD or any of the characters (tragic, really) and no copyright infringement is intended. I also don't own OpSail or HarborFest which are featured in this chapter, nor have I ever been to them, so bear with me if you have and elements are off; I researched as best as I could! With that out of the way, on to Chapter 21. :)

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**Chapter 21: Sunset Cannons**

Elena was looking out the window and watching the scenery as it whizzed by when she saw signs for Norfolk. Not knowing that this was where Damon had been when everyone had found him, Elena didn't question his return to the location, but rather the destination itself.

"We're going to Norfolk?" She asked curiously.

Damon arched an eyebrow at Elena quizzically. "Did you miss the part of the conversation where this is supposed to be a surprise?"

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "Well you're sort of running out of land here."

Damon smirked and shook his head at her. "Yes, we're going to Norfolk."

"What are we doing in Norfolk?" Elena questioned.

Damon chuckled and shook his head at Elena. "You're one of those people that shakes your presents at Christmas, aren't you?"

Elena's cheeks flamed with color. "That is completely irrelevant."

Damon burst into laughter. "You really _do _shake your presents at Christmas, don't you?"

Elena's silence was answer enough. Damon shook his head. "Remind me to hide your Christmas presents, _well_."

Elena shot him a glare. "There's nothing wrong with a healthy curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat and let's face it Elena, you definitely have a propensity for getting yourself into trouble." Damon rebutted.

Elena grumbled something beneath her breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Damon teased her.

"I _said_ that you are a gargantuan pain in my ass."

Damon laughed at Elena's words. "Well, not yet, but..."

Elena's cheeks flamed with color and she reached out to slap Damon on the arm. "Damon!" She squealed, sounding scandalized.

Damon smirked at her and tossed her a wink. "Oh come on, Elena, lighten up."

Elena rolled her eyes at Damon. "I'd lighten up more if you weren't talking about my posterior in that fashion."

"But it's such a lovely posterior!" Damon protested.

Elena looked down her nose at him.

Damon laughed. "Alright, alright, would it make you feel better if I told you that I won't do anything to your lovely posterior that you don't like?"

Elena nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Damon grinned at Elena. "Good, now get your lovely posterior out of the car." He teased her with a wink as he shut off the engine and slid out of the car.

Elena took a moment to look around, realizing that they had come to a halt. They appeared to be parked outside what looked like a baseball stadium. Elena arched an eyebrow quizzically as Damon came around and opened her door for her.

"We're going to a baseball game?" Elena asked, perplexed.

Damon rolled his eyes at her as he held out a hand to her. "Yes, Elena, you just really struck me as the type of girl who loves baseball, so I figured I'd drag you out to the ballpark and buy you a hotdog for dinner."

Elena stuck her tongue out at him impudently before taking his hand and climbing out of the car. "You don't know, I could like baseball."

Damon smirked and shook his head. "I'm sure even a game as boring as baseball would be entertaining with you, Elena, but that's not quite what I had planned for the evening. Plus, we're a little overdressed for a baseball game, don't you think?"

Elena looked down at herself and then nodded. "Yes, I suppose we are." She gave him a curious look. "That still leaves the question of what we _are _doing though."

Damon shook his head at her as he closed her car door and locked the Camaro. "If you would stop shaking the damn box you _might _actually get around to unwrapping the present."

Elena slid her gaze over his body in a suggestive manner. "And exactly what will I be _unwrapping_?" She purred in a sultry voice.

Damon growled at her and leaned down to nip at the edge of her ear with his teeth. She could feel his hot breath beading against her skin and it made her whimper with desire.

"Don't tease me unless you want to get teased in return, my little minx." Damon purred into her ear before moving his lips away from her ear and starting to walk towards the street.

That was when Elena saw the small shuttle bus that was waiting at the corner. She looked down at herself, then at the bus. "We're taking a bus dressed like this?"

Damon had to bite down on his lower lip to keep from chuckling in amusement. "Well, if you're a big fan of public transportation I suppose we can, but I think Romeo will be disappointed."

Elena looked at Damon as if he had grown a second head. Damon pulled a bag of sugar cubes from out of his pocket and held them out to Elena. "I'm told he likes these and if you get on the bus I'm afraid he'll have to do without." Damon said as he nodded across the street to where a black and red antique surrey was waiting with a large black and white paint draft horse pulling it.

Elena blinked in surprise and damn near dashed across the road before Damon caught her by the waist and pulled her back. "Whoa there, princess. There are these things called _cars_ you know, and I'd rather not have my date flattened. Trying to explain why you're not dead after getting creamed by a car might put a little bit of a damper on our date."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "I wasn't going to get hit by a car."

Damon smirked at her. "Sure you weren't; humor me anyway. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't escort you?" He offered his arm and Elena slid her arm through his as he led her to the crosswalk and then escorted her across the street to where the carriage was waiting. As soon as they were across the street she pulled her arm from his so she could scurry more quickly towards the carriage.

Damon could only grin at her impatience. Seeing Elena like this, he could almost imagine what she had been like as a girl and what she could be like again if every day wasn't filled with pain, loss and suffering. He hoped that one day all of that would end and he could see Elena like this all of the time, but for the moment he was just thankful for the brief reprieve.

Elena started towards the horse and then backed away as if thinking better of it. She looked up at the driver with a small frown upon her face. "Is it alright if I feed him these?" She held up the little baggy of sugar cubes that Damon had given her.

The driver nodded. "Of course. Do you know how to feed a horse?"

Elena shook her head softly. Damon grinned and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around tenderly. He let his left hand move to rest gently on her abdomen, holding her to him, while his right hand moved to grasp her right wrist. He lifted her arm with his own and then turned her wrist over so that her palm was facing upwards. Once that was done he slid his fingers downwards and took the bag of sugar cubes from Elena's hand before he gently uncurled Elena's fingers so that her palm was open flat. "You hold your palm out flat, like this, and then you put the sugar cubes on it." He shook the sugar cubes out of the bag and onto her palm. "Now hold it out to him. Keep your hand flat and put it under his nose."

Elena did as she was instructed, holding her open palm underneath the horse's nose. The horse sniffed a few times before gently beginning to pull the sugar cubes into his mouth with his lips. Elena giggled as the horse's whiskers tickled her. Once the sugar cubes were gone she reached out and gently stroked her hand down the horse's nose as Damon rested his head on her shoulder, watching her with a smile.

When she figured the horse had been petted enough Elena pulled her hand back. Damon took that as a cue and gently led her around to the side of the carriage where he offered her a hand up. Elena smiled down at him as he helped her into the carriage and suddenly it was as if he really _was _a young man again; how he wished that it was true and that it had been Elena he had met all those years ago and not Katherine.

Still...if it had been Elena and not Katherine she would have been a different woman, and he would have been a very different man. While he might not mind being different, he wouldn't trade his Elena for the world, so he had to figure that the century and a half of suffering was worth it. He would wait forever for Elena.

Elena leaned over the side of the carriage and peered down at him. "Are you going to join me? Or just stand there staring into space all day?"

Damon grinned and shook his head at her. "I'm coming, Miss Impatient."

He climbed into the carriage and sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Elena leaned into him and rested her head on his chest. He had never been so shocked; alright, maybe once or twice, but even still...it was difficult to fathom that Elena was willingly leaning into him, resting her head against his chest and relaxing against him as she was. He angled his head downwards and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo mixed with the subtle fragrance of the rose that had permeated her hair and skin. He had never smelled anything so sweet in his lifetime.

"How do you know so much about horses?" Elena questioned as the carriage started to move forward.

Damon gave a soft hmm as he snapped himself out of his reverie and then quickly processed her question. When he realized what she had asked it made him chuckle softly. "I grew up with horses, remember? I rode every single day."

Elena blushed, realizing how silly her question must seem to him. "Oh, right."

Damon grinned and kissed the top of her head reverently. "I can teach you how to ride, if you'd like."

Elena laughed wryly at Damon's offer. "When? We're always dodging disaster."

Damon frowned at her statement and stroked a hand gently through her hair. "It won't always be like that, Elena, I promise. Besides, we have forever now."

Elena smiled and nodded. "I suppose we do."

In the back of their minds they both knew that forever might not be that long, but neither voiced it, not wanting to ruin the perfection of the evening.

They rode in silence for a while, Elena resting her head on Damon's chest while Damon gently fingered the long, silky brown strands of Elena's hair. It wasn't until they grew closer to the harbor that Elena sat up and began to look around curiously. "Why are there so many people here?"

Damon smirked softly at Elena. "You've lived in Virginia your whole life and you've never been to Harbor Fest?"

Elena shook her head softly.

Damon grinned and shook his head at her. "Well, then I guess you picked a good year to start, because this year it happens to coincide with OpSail and the bicentennial of the War of 1812."

Elena tilted her head to the side. "OpSail?"

Damon nodded. "Operation Sail. They promote good will and cooperation between countries and host a lot of events celebrating maritime history, this event being one of them. OpSail and Harbor Fest only coincide about once a decade, so between that and the bicentennial this year is pretty huge. It's why we had to take the carriage; usually I park down closer to the wharf, but in this traffic it would have been impossible. I figured a carriage ride was more relaxing than dealing with snarled traffic."

Elena smiled and nodded. "Well, you were right about that."

Damon smiled at Elena in return. "I'm glad I made the right call."

Elena gave Damon a quizzical look. "So how do youknow so much about all of this when I don't?"

Damon smirked. "Well _some of us _actually pay attention to what's happening in our community."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Norfolk isn't my community and it isn't yours either. You said that you usuallypark down by the wharf, which means you come here regularly. Why?"

Damon shook his head at her. "Can't say; it'd ruin the surprise."

Elena huffed and gave him a frustrated look. "Alright, then can you at least tell me what this Bicentennial/Harbor Fest/OpSail thing is?"

Damon nodded. "I could, but it's easier if you just look out there." Damon pointed towards the water.

Elena turned her head and then gasped in surprise. There were literally _thousands _of people, but that wasn't what caught her attention; no, it was the ships that did that. There were dozens of them lining the shore as far as the eye could see; military ships that were so large Elena could hardly even believe that they were real and tall ships that looked like the pirates of the Caribbean had descended upon Norfolk. She could see the masts and sails towering over the crowds; the sight of the ships put her in awe.

Damon smiled as he took in the look on Elena's face. He'd agonized over just how to plan this evening. If he had more time he might have taken Elena to Paris or Rome; hell, he would gladly have taken her around the world. As much as Damon would like to pretend otherwise though, the witches were coming to their door and while he would like nothing more than to hide Elena someplace and keep her safe, if the witches found the originals and killed them it would all be for naught. They had no choice but to stand and fight, but for tonight he wanted to take Elena away from all of that. The light in her eyes showed him that he'd been successful.

"It's amazing." Elena finally gasped.

Damon nodded. "It is."

Elena turned to look at Damon again. "Do you know about ships too?"

Damon nodded his head once again. "I know about a lot of things. That's the blessing of having infinite time."

Elena looked out at the ships again, mystified. It was hard to believe that one day she might be able to pilot one of these majestic vessels.

The blessing of infinite time. When she was human it had seemed daunting to her, unnatural, but now...

Elena looked back towards Damon, letting her eyes travel over his face.

Now she wanted nothing more than to have an eternity to spend with him.

"Stop here, please." Damon instructed the driver. The driver nodded and the carriage rolled to a halt. Damon stepped down and then held his hand up to Elena to help her out of the carriage. Once she was back on the ground Damon offered the driver a generous tip while Elena went to bid farewell to Romeo. She liked the horse so much that Damon was tempted to make an offer to buy the horse just so he could see her smile, but he knew that now wasn't the time. If they survived this ordeal with the witches he'd buy her a hundred horses, but while this threat lingered over their head it just didn't seem right.

With his business concluded Damon gently placed a hand on the small of Elena's back. She turned towards him and looked up at him with a smile that was so dazzling Damon thought that his heart might burst from his chest. "Time to go?"

Damon nodded. Elena turned back to the horse and gave him one last pat. "Goodbye, Romeo." She said to the horse before turning to follow Damon's lead.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Careful, I'll start thinking that you like the horse more than me." He teased her with a smile.

"Maybe I do." Elena teased him.

Damon raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh?"

Elena nodded. "He does have _much _better manners."

Damon feigned a look of hurt. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ms. Gilbert. My manners are impeccable."

Elena smirked at him and shook her head. "Yeah, when you're not acting like a certain part of a horse's anatomy."

Damon tickled her side playfully and earned a sharp yelp and a burst of laughter for his efforts. "Look who's talking about manners, Ms. Gilbert. Trying to call me a horse's ass?"

Elena grinned unrepentantly. "Well if the shoe fits..."

Damon shook his head in amusement. "Well then, I suppose I'll just have to do my best to repair my reputation by showing you just how much of a gentleman I can be. Would the lady like to tour the grounds before we adjourn to the main attraction of our evening?"

Elena raised an eyebrow curiously. "This isn't it?"

Damon shook his head softly. "Not by a long shot."

Elena's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Damon, you didn't have to do all of this..."

The corner of Damon's lip curled upwards mirthfully. "I'm well aware of that, Elena. I _want _to. No matter what happens I want us both to have one perfect night to keep in our memories."

Elena smiled at him and stood up on her tippy-toes so that she could kiss his cheek tenderly. "Any night with you is perfect, Damon."

Damon honestly didn't know what to say to that. He could feel tears welling to his eyes and the last thing he wanted to do was look like a total wuss by crying in front of her, so he simply wrapped his arms around Elena and pulled her into him, burying his face into her hair. They lingered like that for a long while, holding each other as people bustled by, as if they were the solid stone in the middle of a living, breathing river.

After a minute or two had passed Damon finally released Elena and took her hand in his. "Come on, there's something I want you to see."

Elena peered at him curiously, but nodded.

They passed by street performers and white tents where vendors were selling their wares. There were thousands of sights and sounds and smells. If Damon weren't there Elena would have been completely overwhelmed, but his presence reassured her and helped her to be fascinated by her surroundings rather than intimidated.

Eventually they came to an area that looked like they had stepped back in time. There was a blacksmith pounding out a sword on an iron anvil and a another man making barrels by hand; one woman was washing clothes in a giant wooden tub with what looked like a huge stick while another was sewing a dress that dated from the period. If it weren't for the white tents that covered the area and the people milling about in jeans and t-shirts Elena could almost have believed they really were back in the 1800's.

Elena's eyes flickered around the scenery, trying to take everything in. After a moment she looked up at Damon. "Was this what it was like when you were young?" Elena asked Damon curiously.

Damon nodded softly. "It was similar. This is supposed to recreate life in the 1812's and I wasn't born until 1840, but it didn't change too drastically. Laundry was still done by hand, either with the dolly tub and stick like that woman is using, or with a washboard. Hammering swords was a shorter process by the 1830's and the manufacturing process changed to use steel more frequently than iron, but other than the small details much was the same."

Elena nodded and continued to stare, mystified. "What were you like back then?"

Damon grinned down at her. "What makes you think that I was any different than I am now?"

Elena looked up at him from beneath her lashes, the expression on her face clearly conveying how exasperated she was by the question.

Damon drew in a deep breath, thinking back to the days when he had still been alive. "I was more naive, more idealistic. The black sheep of the family really, though I suppose that's not so different now." Damon gave a self-ridiculing smile. "I joined the Confederate Army to make my father happy, but I couldn't stand it. They talk about the horrors of the war, but it's not the same as actually seeing it. Thousands of men out there dying, and for what? To keep money in the pockets of a few rich, southern gentlemen."

Damon shook his head softly. "It wasn't worth it, I'll say that. I deserted. It wasn't uncommon on either side, though it was less prevalent in the south, and you can imagine how my father felt about that." Damon gave a dry laugh. "I guess I'm lucky he didn't turn me in to the authorities...I could have been put to death, though in the end he executed me himself."

Elena peered up at Damon curiously as they walked about the area, letting her examine the stalls more closely; in truth though the only thing that she was examining was Damon. Listening to him talk she could see the pain on his face; even though it had happened over a century before, Damon still hurt as much now as then. She found herself wishing to reach out and wipe the pain from his face, but she didn't want to distract him; he seemed absorbed in his words.

"I thought I loved Katherine." Elena flinched a bit and Damon paused, considering, before speaking. "I suppose I did love her in a way, much like you loved Matt at one point..." Elena smiled a bit at this reminder and nodded. "She wasn't worthy of it like Matt; she manipulated me, used me, strung me along for a century and a half."

Damon shook his head softly. "I was an idiot." He spat vehemently, making Elena frown. "But then...I'd never had anyone _really _love me, so how would I have known any better?"

Elena's frown deepened as she looked up at Damon from underneath her lashes. "And now?"

Damon gave a cynical smirk. "You tell me, Elena."

Elena licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get out the words there was a series of resonating **booms** in the distance.

Elena gasped and the spell between them was broken. "What's that?"

Damon chuckled softly. "Sunset cannons. Come on. We should get going."

Elena nodded and allowed herself to be led away from the various tents with their reminders of a time that she had never known, glancing back over her shoulder one last time to peer at the relics of the past before facing forward once more and tucking herself into Damon's side, trusting him to lead her to wherever it was that they needed to go.

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**Author's Note: **More Delena goodness in Chapter 22, I promise! I'm going to do my best to get it up by tonight. As always, reviews are appreciated. :)


	22. Fireworks

**Author's Note: **Hooray for Chapter 22! The date continues. :D The special shout-outs for this chapter go out to Syl, my unregistered reviewer, and Paige, who joined the multi-review club. As always, thank you to everyone who continues to read and support this fic! You're greatly appreciated. ^^ I'm sorry I couldn't get this out earlier; family's a bitch sometimes and mine was killing my ability to write last night. :( But it's up now! :D

For those of you who are reading the uncensored version, I'm going to post the Delena lemons in a separate chapter on AFFN and FCL; they're not written yet, so it will be late tonight/tomorrow before you get your fix. To those of you who are just reading the M-version here, you'll just skip right over that chapter; bear in mind that I still have to _write _that chapter though, so depending on how much time I get tonight/tomorrow you may or may not get another update on FFN until late Saturday/early Sunday.

I still don't own TVD and no copyright infringement is intended. With that being said, on with chapter 22!

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**Chapter 22: Fireworks**

Elena gave Damon a perplexed look. "So wait, which one is starboard again?"

Damon laughed and pointed to his right as he steered the sailing yacht from its center cockpit. "Starboard."

"And the other one is?"

"Larboard or port." Damon replied.

"I'm not even going to try to learn the rest today." Elena said, scrunching her nose in frustration.

Damon laughed and shook his head. "You'll get it eventually. A hundred years from now you'll be able to hoist the mast and pawl the capstain with the best of them."

Elena gave Damon a look that just shouted: _you're kidding me, right?_ "You know I don't have a damn clue what you just said."

Another chuckle escaped Damon's lips and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards mirthfully. "Well if I didn't, I do now."

Elena tossed him a sulky look. "You're purposely trying to make me feel like an idiot."

Damon shook his head at her and offered out a hand. "I would never try to make you feel like an idiot, Elena. You're one of the smartest people I know. I've had over a century to learn all of this; believe me, when I was eighteen I knew a lot less than you."

Elena nodded and took Damon's hand, looking somewhat placated. He pulled her in front of him as he stood at the helm and began to instruct her since she seemed so put off by her lack of knowledge. "This boat's fairly easy to sail. It's meant for a couple to be able to handle even on an open sea voyage, although being a vampire, I cheat and sail it by myself." He flashed a smile at Elena and then moved to place her hand on one of the nearby pulleys. "This is your gib sheet." He pointed backwards a little. "That's your traveler." He moved his hand upwards to another pulley. "And that's your main sheet. The great thing about this boat is that they're all within your reach when you're at the helm, so you're not running all over the deck trying to adjust the sails. There's a navigation center downstairs, but that will have to wait until we're out of the harbor."

Elena nodded and smiled up at Damon. She was quite sure that it would be a long time before she actually understood the concepts behind what he was telling her, but she liked the fact that he actually tried to teach her rather than just doing everything for her; come to think of it, Damon had always been like that. Yet another difference between Damon and Stefan that she had stupidly failed to recognize before.

"Humans are idiots." Elena blurted, making Damon arch an eyebrow curiously. Elena blushed and explained. "I mean, I just...see everything so much more clearly now that I'm a vampire. And Caroline has changed so much too...it almost seems like we really are smarter than when we were human."

Damon chuckled at Elena and shook his head softly. "Well, I've heard of a lot of effects of vampire blood, but I don't think it actually raises your IQ, Elena." He paused for a moment, leaning down to press his lips against the top of her head. "What it _does _change is your outlook on life. A human life is very short; when you're human, you live for the moment. You may consider where you're going to be five or ten years from now, but even then it's just a vague inclination. When you're a vampire all of that suddenly changes; you're not just thinking about where you're going to be in five or ten years, but in a hundred or a thousand. If you were human learning how to sail a boat probably wouldn't be a priority for you because you would have more things that you wanted to accomplish than you had time for in your life; as a vampire you have infinite time, so when you want to do something, you do it. So yes, you and Vampire Barbie did change when you became vampires, but that isn't because you're smarter or even because you're really all that different; it's because you're starting to look at things from a different perspective."

Elena paused for a moment, her lips pursing softly. "What about Stefan? I mean, I loved him and I always will in a way, but he doesn't seem all that different. I didn't know him as a human, but he doesn't seem to look at things the way you or I do."

Damon paused for a moment, considering Elena's question. After a while he ventured a response. "I can't say for certain, but I'd say it's because of the way that Stefan handles being a vampire. Those of us who don't let being a vampire define _who _we are deal with it in stride; we learn to control our blood lust and for all intents and purposes it becomes no different than a human sitting down to eat a steak or a hamburger. We're not flying off the handle because we're hungry, because we don't starve ourselves by munching on bunnies. Stefan, on the other hand, has always let _what _he is define _who _he is. He's either reveling in being a vampire and slaughtering people or hating being a vampire and fighting his instincts every step of the way. He has let his life become _about _being a vampire rather than being a vampire and living his life. His struggle to not be what he is hasn't left him any space to become anything more than the teenager he was when he died; it's why he fits in so well with the high school crowd when he's on the wagon."

Elena was quiet for a moment as she considered Damon's words. "That's why you made him drink from that woman."

Damon nodded. "From her and from others before her. It wasn't the first time I tried to teach Stefan moderation, but by the time I had learned to control myself and started trying Stefan was already way down that road. You know what they say: difficult to teach an old dogs new tricks. We didn't have someone around to teach us like you and Vampire Barbie did...Katherine ran off and left Stefan and I both to rot. I managed to control myself; Stefan didn't. Trying to fix that...well, you've seen. It's a lot harder to fix someone with an addiction than it is to keep them from getting addicted in the first place and Stefan's outlook on the it all doesn't help."

Elena nodded her head softly, falling silent for a moment as the sailboat slid across the water. After a minute or so had ticked by she spoke again. "Damon?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for being there...for me and for Caroline." Elena said tentatively.

"You don't need to thank me. That's what you do when you love somebody." Damon replied seriously.

Elena's eyelashes fluttered downwards and a soft blush lit her cheeks. She licked her lips nervously before giving a joking reply: "You love Caroline now?"

Damon rolled his eyes at Elena. "Yes, I'm completely smitten with Vampire Barbie."

Elena smirked. "You did date her."

Damon groaned. "Don't remind me."

Elena slapped his arm playfully. "That's my friend you're talking about there!"

Damon smirked at Elena. "Yes, and you love her, which is why I take care of her. Besides...Vampire Barbie has grown on me. She's not so bad anymore; horrible taste in men, but that seems to be a common trait among women."

Elena arched an eyebrow curiously. "She dated you."

Damon chuckled. "Exactly."

Elena tilted her head to the side and peered up at his face. "So you're saying I have bad taste in men?"

Damon's lips curled up mirthfully. "The worst." He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Elena's lips. "But I love you anyway."

Elena grinned smugly. "Well, that's good."

Damon's eyebrows lifted. "Oh? And why is that?"

Elena reached up and curled her fingers around the back of Damon's neck, twining them in some of his longer locks of hair. She then gripped his chin gently and pulled his head down so that he was looking at her.

"Because I love you too, Damon Salvatore."

Damon just stared at Elena in stunned silence for a moment. He couldn't believe what she had just said.

"Say it again." He rasped hoarsely as his blue eyes burned into hers.

"I love you, Damon." Elena repeated with a smile.

And just like that his mouth was fitted to hers, his lips burning with passion and need. His right hand plundered into her hair, gripping the silken strands fiercely as his left hand gripped her waist and pulled her to him. The boat, the witches, their entire date; everything was forgotten about in that moment except for Elena.

This time Elena wasn't taken by surprise by the passion and intensity of Damon's kiss; she had been expecting it and she wanted, no, _needed _it. Her mouth melded perfectly against his, her lips going soft and pliant, but by no means lifeless; no, she kissed him back with just as much hunger and desire as he showed her. She let her tongue slip past her own lips and gently trailed it along his, making him moan with desire. He pushed her back until she could feel the cold metal of the boat's steering wheel pressing against her back through the fabric of her dress. Her breath hitched with desire as she felt his hand travelling down her hip and leg to her thigh and then slowly slipping back up, pushing up her dress in the process so that his palm could slide higher and higher on her leg.

Another loud **boom** interrupted them, startling them both and making them jerk apart. Damon laughed as the crackling sound that followed made him realize just what the original sound had been: fireworks, the same fireworks he had taken her out here to see.

Damon gently moved Elena away from the steering wheel and corrected their course before shutting off the engine. It was lucky that they had already made it out of the busy harbor by the time that they started kissing, because otherwise they likely would have wrecked the boat. It amazed him as always how Elena could make him forget about everything else but her, but what amazed him most was what she had said: she loved him.

Elena Gilbert loved him.

He was so high that he never wanted to come down.

"Fireworks?" Elena questioned once she caught her breath.

Damon nodded and gave Elena a smile. "What, you thought I brought you out here for nothing?"

Elena gestured to the boat. "This is hardly nothing."

Damon gave another nod. "True enough, but it's also the best place to see the fireworks." Damon kissed her cheek softly and pointed her towards one of the fabric covered benches towards the back of the boat. "Go sit and watch, I'll be right back."

Elena raised an eyebrow quizzically as Damon disappeared below deck, but she went to take a seat on the bench as Damon had instructed her, watching the fireworks as they exploded in the night sky. The colors had been vibrant when she was a human, but as a vampire they were downright spectacular. She was so enraptured that she almost didn't notice when Damon returned, which was saying something; even fireworks weren't quite _that _spectacular though.

He sat down beside her on the bench, his weight subtly shifting the cushion. Elena leaned into him instinctively and smiled up at him with a look that took Damon's breath away. Never once in his life had Damon had a woman look at him that way.

"Dinner is served." Damon said with a wry grin as he held out one of the wine glasses to Elena. Elena sniffed the liquid inside and then peered at him curiously. "It smells different."

Damon nodded. "It's cut with wine. It tastes good, trust me."

Elena nodded and then took a sip of the blood. Her eyes lit in surprise; he was right. It had all of the rich, warm taste of blood with just a hint of the sweetness of wine and something a little more dark and wood-like that reminded her of some of the undertones of his bourbon.

She licked her lips delicately and then nodded. "You're right; it's delicious."

Damon grinned at her and lifted an eyebrow. "You doubted me?"

Elena grinned back. "You could just be trying to get me drunk."

Damon rolled his eyes. "On wine? I've seen you drink, Elena; I'd need something a lot stronger than that if I was going to get you drunk."

Elena laughed at him. "You're just mad I beat you at your own game."

Damon grinned at her and reached out to gently stroke his thumb along her jaw. "If it made you as happy as you were that day, Elena, I'd let you beat me at every game."

Elena smiled at him and gently tapped her finger against her wine glass. "Well it seems that you don't have to let me win."

Damon arched an eyebrow curiously. "Oh? And why is that."

Elena leaned in towards Damon and cupped his cheek lovingly. "Because I'm happier now."

Damon's mouth covered Elena's once more. The fireworks in the background were nothing compared to the fireworks that sparked between them. When the kiss ended they were both breathless and panting. Their foreheads rested together and Damon's hand stroked gently along Elena's cheek.

Elena moved her head away from Damon's and then scooted her body closer to his, resting her head on his shoulder and sipping at her dinner.

Damon wrapped an arm around Elena's shoulders and held her close, idly sipping on his blood wine while watching Elena stare enraptured at the fireworks. The way that the multi-colored lights played across her face and her eyes seemed to sparkle with wonderment was simply amazing to him; he knew he would never forget it.

All too soon the **boom **of fireworks ended and the last streaks of light faded from the sky. Elena's face fell a little. "Is it over?"

Damon nodded. "I'm afraid so." A small sigh escaped his lips as he reluctantly unwound his arm from around Elena's shoulders and stood. He plucked Elena's empty glass from her hand. "I'll go rinse these out and then I'll take us back to shore."

Elena frowned and watched his retreating back as he headed down below deck once again. She stood and headed over to the edge of the boat, leaning against the rail and peering down at the glossy black surface of the water and the bright light of the moon as it danced across the small waves.

She didn't want this night to end.

_So don't let it. _Her mind argued.

Elena bit down on her lower lip and then glanced back over her shoulder, considering. She would have to make a decision quickly.

Damon came back up on deck moments later and returned to where he had left Elena. When he didn't see her he panicked at first.

"Elena?" He called frantically.

"Out here!" Elena's voice responded.

Damon blinked and looked around. It was then that he saw Elena's discarded heels and clothing laying on the deck of his boat. He nearly groaned when he saw the lacey black panties and bra that were laying on top of her dress. That woman was going to be the death of him.

He headed to the back rail and leaned over, searching the water for Elena. Her head bobbed up from underneath the surface of the water moments later and she flashed him a smile. "Come on in! The water's nice."

Damon rolled his eyes at her. "We're out on the open ocean, Elena. It's dangerous. A storm could come up and we could lose the boat. There could even be sharks."

Elena gave him a skeptical look. "Does it _look_ like there's going to be a storm? And since when is Damon Salvatore afraid of sharks?"

Damon crossed his arms over the railing and looked down his nose at Elena. "I'm not afraid of sharks; I'm afraid of what they might do to your beautiful body."

Elena smirked at him. "Guess you better come protect me then."

Damon shook his head, remembering a long ago conversation with his brother.

_"Why are you just standing there? That is a girl that clearly wants to be chased."_

Except this time it was Elena, a girl worth chasing; and for once it was him that she wanted chasing her and not his brother.

Damon wasn't about to ignore her. He stripped out of his clothing quickly and then climbed off the back of the boat and into the water, swimming out to meet her.

Elena swam to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him as he treaded water. He could feel her wet, naked body sliding along his beneath the surface of the water; he thought he might lose his mind.

"Problem?" Elena asked, grinning like the little minx she was.

Damon gave her a smoldering look. "You're really enjoying baiting the tiger, aren't you Elena?"

Elena gave him an impish smile. "Maybe I'm just enjoying being on equal footing with you for a change."

Damon reached up with one damp hand and brushed his fingertips along her cheek, caressing her face lovingly and dripping droplets of saltwater along her skin in the process. "You've always been my equal, Elena; you just wouldn't admit it."

Elena's breath hitched as she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "Well I'm admitting it now."

Damon's lip curled into a mischievous grin. His blue eyes smoldered at Elena as he leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Good, because I'd hate to feel like I'm taking advantage of you when I do this..." He kissed her lips tenderly. "And this..." He kissed her neck, making her draw in a sharp breath of air. "And this." He slid his fangs into her neck and Elena moaned with delight. The initial sting of his fangs sliding into her neck was painful, but it was a brief, momentary pain and the sharpness only added to the pleasure as Damon's mouth gently suckled on her neck and his tongue stroked along her flesh. She had never thought that a bite could feel _this _good; but perhaps that was because it wasn't with Damon.

All too soon Damon pulled his fangs from her neck, licking the wound one last time and then nuzzling her neck lovingly. Elena shivered and licked her lips. After a moment Damon pulled away and moved to bite into his own wrist, but Elena stopped him.

"Don't."

Elena's words and the pleading in her eyes gave him pause, but only for a moment. "You need the blood, Elena. You're too young...I shouldn't have bitten you in the first place."

Elena nodded. "Then let me."

Damon groaned at the thought. Elena's lips on his neck were bad enough, the thought of her biting him...

Damon shuddered, but eventually he nodded to Elena. "Alright."

Elena smiled at him and swam towards him again. Her arms wound around his neck and her soft breasts pressed against his chest, making Damon moan with desire. He closed his eyes as he felt her lips pressing tenderly along his neck, sending shivers of desire shooting down his spine; this woman was going to make him come undone.

When Elena's fangs broke his skin he thought he might actually die. Her hesitation made the pain a little worse, but the sensations afterwards more than made up for it. He could feel her mouth moving against his neck, her tongue stroking along his skin; it made him think of just what her tongue and mouth could do to other parts of his anatomy and that thought alone nearly made him come apart.

When she pulled back from his neck and licked the last bit of his blood from her lips with her cute little pink tongue Damon thought his heart was actually going to leap from his chest. She hadn't taken much and he hadn't told her to stop; that alone made him proud. A vampire's blood was a heady thing, especially for one so young who was drinking from one as old as him; the fact that Elena could control herself showed amazing restraint.

"Is it always like that?" Elena asked, mystified.

Damon shook his head softly as he stroked his fingers through her hair. "No. You can make it comfortable for those you bite, even pleasurable, but something like that has more to do with emotions than the bite itself."

Elena nodded and Damon breathed a soft sigh. "We should go...blood in the water really will attract sharks."

Elena frowned. "Do we have to?"

Damon arched an eyebrow curiously. "You want to see if you can fight a shark?"

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "I don't mean do we have to get out of the water, I mean do we have to _leave _and go back to shore?"

Damon hesitated for a moment, peering at Elena curiously. "You mean you want to stay on the boat?"

Elena nodded.

Damon considered for a moment. "Well there are two bedrooms..."

Elena peered at him from beneath her lashes. "We only need one."

Damon's breath hitched in his throat. He wanted Elena so badly that he could taste her on his tongue, but even still...

"We can wait, you know. We don't have to rush into anything."

Elena shook her head softly. "I don't want to wait, Damon. The bottom line is that we don't know how much time we have; maybe it's eternity, maybe it's only a few days. Even if I live forever I know I'll never regret making love to you, but if I don't make love to you tonight and I never get another chance I know I will regret it."

Damon cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lovingly. "Don't talk like that, Elena. We're going to get through this, I promise."

Elena smiled at him. "I hope we do. I know you'll do everything you can to make sure that we come out alive, but that doesn't change the truth: we risk death every day. If I'm going to put my life on the line I want to at least know I had this one night with you."

Damon nodded and then pressed his lips to Elena's with heartbreaking tenderness. He wanted to give her forever, but for now they'd start with this one night.

After a few seconds he pulled away from Elena's lips and swam towards the boat. He climbed back aboard and then offered a hand down to Elena to help pull her aboard. When he saw her standing there, naked and glistening in the moonlight, he felt as if he might die; just looking at her made his heart ache. How the hell he could love anyone this much was beyond him, but he was grateful beyond measure that he did.

"Are you sure about this?" Damon asked Elena in a voice that was hoarse with desire.

Elena nodded. "I'm sure, Damon."

That was all he needed to hear. He scooped her beautiful, naked body up into his arms and held her close as he carried her down below deck to make love to her until the morning came.

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**Author's Note: **There's chapter 22! Sorry there's no juicy lemons for you, but if you're reading the uncensored versions I promise I'll have them up soon. ;) In the meantime I hope you enjoy the chapter! As always, reviews are appreciated. ^^


	23. Never Let You Go

**Author's Note: **Chapter 23: Never Let You Go is exclusively MA rated and therefore will not be posted on FFN. For those of you over the age of 18 who would like to read chapter 23 please visit Fell's Church Library or Adultfanfiction . net. Happy reading! :)


	24. The Competition

**Author's Note:** Okay, now that I have (hopefully) quenched your thirst with 4 chapters of Delena goodness and lemons, we're going to actually go check in on our other characters. ;) Shout outs this chapter go to Sailor Peach, my first AFFN reviewer, and to Betty Baxter and bubbly.o9 who joined my multi-review club. Thank you so much to everyone who has continued to show their love and support for me and the story. :D

I sadly still don't own TVD. :( No copyright infringement is intended. Now that that's out of the way, let's get on with chapter 24!

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**Chapter 24: The Competition**

Stefan sat at the bar in the Mystic Grill, a glass of whiskey on the rocks lingering on the bar in front of him. Occasionally he would lift the glass to his lips and take a sip, but mostly he was just staring idly at the glass, watching as the ice cubes dissolved into the whiskey.

He had finally lost Elena. He always knew the day would come and in some ways he supposed that it served him right; he had taken Katherine from Damon and now Damon had taken Elena from him. It seemed that turnabout really _was_ fair play; except that he had stolen the wrong girl. Katherine hadn't cared about either of them in the end, and Elena...well...

Stefan downed what was left of the whiskey with a grimace and a small sound of distaste before holding up his glass. "Another, please?" He asked the bartender. The barkeep gave a brief nod and took Stefan's glass, quickly replacing it with another. Stefan was just lifting the glass to his lips when he heard a female voice chime out from behind him.

"You may want to slow up there, Stefan. You're not your brother, after all. You haven't drank like that since the twenties."

Stefan grimaced at the words. "Thanks, Rebekah. As it turns out I am _intimately _aware of the fact that I am not my brother. I appreciate you rubbing it in though. And what would you know about my drinking habits since the twenties? You've been stuck in a box for the past ninety years."

Rebekah rolled her eyes as she took the seat next to Stefan at the bar, not bothering to ask permission. Rather than ordering her own drink she simply reached over and took his, raising the whiskey to her lips and knocking it back with the ease of an experienced professional. Stefan rolled his eyes, but he didn't protest; he simply lifted his fingers to indicate to the barkeep that he needed a refill.

Once Rebekah was done consuming Stefan's drink she lowered the glass and sat it in front of her, sliding her fingertips along the rim of the glass. "I know a lot about your habits, Stefan. Believe it or not I pay attention to what you do. I did love you once, you know."

Stefan chuckled wryly as the barkeep sat another glass of whiskey in front of him and turned to look at Rebekah. "Yeah...and then you slept with my brother."

"And you slept with Elena." Rebekah fired back coldly. "Those who live in glass houses, Stefan...it's not as if you spent any time trying to get me _out _of that box. By the time somebody else did you were already wrapped around Elena's little finger. What was I supposed to do, become a nun?"

Stefan shrugged his shoulders as he lifted the glass of whiskey to his lips, taking a sip. He grimaced when he realized that he hadn't let it sit long enough for the flavor to return and then placed the drink back down on the bar. "I don't know, Rebekah. I don't blame you. Obviously Damon is quite attractive." He chuckled wryly and shook his head.

Rebekah pursed her lips. "So that's what this is about. I wondered when Elena showed up with your brother at our little get-together the other day...she left you for him?"

Stefan grasped the glass of whiskey a little harder, his knuckles starting to turn white and stress fractures beginning to spread through the glass. "More or less."

Rebekah arched her eyebrows quizzically.

Stefan sighed and released his stranglehold on the glass. "I lied to try to keep her and I ending up losing her because of it...she was already lost though. I knew it. I knew it the day I left for my little _trip _with your brother."

Rebekah gave a sigh. "Ah yes, Niklaus..." She shook her head softly. "I'm sorry, for what it's worth. What he did to you...it wasn't right."

Stefan shrugged it off. "It wasn't, but it doesn't really matter. It would have happened one way or another. Elena was never going to stay with me and I was bound to go off of the edge sooner or later; Klaus just sped up the process." Stefan took another drink; this time the ice had enough time to settle and the flavor was back in the whiskey. "I'm sorry for what he did to you, sticking you in that coffin for nearly a century. Why _did _he do that, anyway?"

Rebekah paused, considering how to answer. After a moment she decided to tell him the truth. "Because I told him that I was going to leave him to be with you."

Stefan's head jerked up and his eyes met hers; he was genuinely surprised by her answer, but before he could formulate any sort of coherent response a voice purred from behind him.

"Well well, what do we have here?" Katherine gave her typical sultry smile and then slid onto the stool on Stefan's other side, crossing her legs delicately so that the skin-tight black dress she was wearing rode higher on her thighs. She leaned in towards Stefan, stretching across the bar top as if she was trying to talk past him; which in fact she was, but the manner in which she did it made it clear that was not her only motivation.

"Rebekah...it seems like it has been centuries since I saw you! You're looking well."

Rebekah shot Katherine a murderous glare. "Not long enough, by my accounts."

Katherine gave a loud, tinkling laugh. "Oh Rebekah, such hostility! Worried I'm going to steal Stefan away from you?" She batted her lashes sweetly at the original, earning her a growl from Rebekah.

Stefan decided he had better intercede before bloodshed happened. He slid his gaze towards Katherine. "What _are _you doing here, Katherine?"

Katherine sat up once again and placed her left arm on the bar, propping herself up on it as she eyed Rebekah with chocolate brown eyes that were identical to Elena's. "The same thing she's doing here, I'd imagine."

Rebekah gave a derisive snort. "Not very fucking likely."

Katherine just smiled at Rebekah in response.

"Care to be a little more specific, Katherine?" Stefan said in an exasperated tone.

Katherine looked at Stefan for a moment and then sighed, relenting. She waved a hand dismissively. "Fine, if you'd like me to spell it out for you: I'm here for you."

Rebekah rolled her eyes at Katherine. "What? Already run through all of the men in the world and decided to have a second go-round?" She snapped bitingly.

Stefan shook his head at the two of them. Before Katherine could fire back at Rebekah he interjected. "You had over a century to be here for me, Katherine. Instead you let us think you were dead. Why bother now?"

Katherine shot Rebekah a withering glare before turning her attention to Stefan again. "I had a century where I was being _hunted_, by _her _brother none the less." She eyed Rebekah pointedly. "It wasn't safe for us to be together; but now that's not a problem. Klaus has what he wants and I'm not of any use to him anymore; better yet, your little blonde vampire friend has him by the short and curlies from everything I hear. He's so busy trying to win her love that he has forgotten all about vengeance; he's practically one of the good guys now."

Stefan's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "How..."

"Do I know all this?" Katherine finished for him in a flippant tone. "I always know, Stefan. I've kept an eye on you since the day I turned you, you really think that I'm going to stop now?"

Stefan stared at Katherine, almost dumbfounded.

Rebekah's face grew more red by the second. She slapped her hand down on the bar, making the glasses rattle with the force of the impact and drawing Stefan and Katherine's gaze to her. "You _can't _seriously believe her, Stefan."

Katherine flashed Rebekah a grin that looked almost triumphant as Rebekah fumed. Rebekah had half a mind to rip the bitch's heart out right then and there.

"She's not lying, Rebekah. We all know how doggedly your brother pursues the things he wants." Stefan interjected.

This only served to anger Rebekah further. "Of course she's lying! Every word that comes out of her mouth is a lie! She's a God damned sociopath who has plowed her way through every man I care about; first Elijah, then you and Damon. How many times does she have to fuck you over before you figure out that she's a soulless bitch?"

Katherine laughed. "A sociopath and a soulless bitch? That's rich coming from you."

Rebekah moved so quickly that it wasn't visible to the human eye. Suddenly Katherine's stool was clattering to the floor and Katherine was stretched across the bar with Rebekah's hand on her throat. "I should kill you right here and now." Rebekah growled.

Katherine's eyes went wide at the thought that she might have miscalculated.

"Rebekah!" Stefan shouted as he grasped her by the waist, trying to pull her off of Katherine.

Rebekah didn't budge at first. She stood there glaring down at Katherine with murderous intent before she finally jerked her hand, slamming Katherine's head back into the bar with an audible _thump _before releasing her.

"You're not worth it." Rebekah growled, turning away from Katherine and leveling her gaze on Stefan. "And I'm seriously beginning to doubt that you are either."

A look of hurt crossed Stefan's face at Rebekah's barb. Rebekah didn't seem to care if she noticed, she simply swept past him and stormed out the front doors. Stefan watched her depart from the grill, unable to formulate a response.

From the corner of his eye he saw that Katherine was collecting herself, pushing herself up off of the bar and straightening out her clothing. Soon her arms were wrapped around his waist.

"Don't listen to her; she's just upset that she's not getting her way. Temper tantrums run in that family, you know; Elijah is the only reasonable one out of the lot."

Katherine pressed a kiss to Stefan's back. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. He turned around and grasped her by her upper arms, pushing her away from him.

Katherine gasped, both surprised and intrigued by Stefan's forcefulness; it was a side of him that she rarely saw; in fact it was Stefan's lack of a dominant nature that had made her pursue Damon in the first place. This new and sudden intensity excited her.

"You know who else is upset, Katherine? Me. I'm tired of the games and tired of the bullshit. Go find someone else's head to fuck with; I'm through with you."

Intrigue and excitement turned to astonishment and anger. Katherine's eyes flared with outrage. "Just because I'm not sweet and innocent like your beloved Elena doesn't mean that I'm fucking with you, Stefan. I've always loved you."

Stefan smirked at Katherine and shook his head. "Yeah; me and Damon and Elijah and God knows how many others. But you know who you love most in the end, Katherine? You. So go be with yourself, because you're not going to be with me."

Stefan tossed down some bills onto the bar to pay for his tab and then ran out the front doors of the grill, chasing after Rebekah. Katherine was left standing there, staring open-mouthed at the door as it swung closed. By now the whole grill was staring at her. She snapped out of her reverie and simply glared at those who were staring at her before lifting her head indignantly.

She wouldn't let them see her cry. She never let anybody see her cry.

With stoic grace Katherine left the grill and slipped into her Porsche. Only then did she break down into heart-wrenching sobs.

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**Author's Note:** The first Katherine appearance! Dum dum dum! Hope you liked it. :) As always, reviews are appreciated!


	25. Protection

**Author's Note: **First off: **over 300 reviews! YAY!** You guys are totally awesome. :3 Shout-outs for this chapter go to casema, MotivatedShay and BornForThe70's, who joined my multi-review club here on FFN, and Lissa Salvatore, who joined the multi-review club over at FCL. ^^

I still don't own TVD. :( No copyright infringement is intended. That being said, on with Chapter 25.

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**Chapter 25: Protection**

Caroline paced nervously in front of the door to her house, stealing glances at the clock on the cable box every so often. It seemed like it had read 7:55 for the past three hours. She was absolutely going out of her mind. How the hell had everything gotten so out of control?

A few days ago she had been planning on leaving town with Tyler. They were being hunted, sure, but at least they were being hunted together. Now...well now she had no idea what the hell was going on. Nobody had come after her and Tyler yet; with Ric gone they lacked a clear leader, but the bell had already been rung and they couldn't take it back; well, they could, but going after that many counsel members and trying to erase their memories could prove to be quite difficult, especially considering most if not all of them were hyped up on vervain. And even if they managed to erase the memory of all the counsel members, who knew how many others knew about their identity? Yeah...they were pretty much screwed, and that didn't take into account the witches that were gunning for them.

Or the biggest problem of all: the fact that Klaus was in Tyler's body.

Well, shit.

She heard the doorbell ring and she nearly jumped out of her skin. When she calmed herself she cursed at her own stupidity before heading over to open up the door.

As expected Tyler stood on the other side of the door. Shockingly he was somewhat dressed up, wearing a black polo shirt and a pair of nicely pressed khaki slacks with a black belt and shoes. In his hand he held a bouquet of yellow and white daisies wrapped in yellow tissue paper. Caroline gave an '_aww'_ as she saw the flowers and reached out to take them from him. She leaned in to kiss him and then drew back, thinking better of it.

"Wait, you're Tyler-Tyler, right?" She asked, giving him a leery look.

Tyler chuckled and reached up to rub the back of his neck nervously. "Last I checked."

Caroline wasted no time in tossing her arms around Tyler's neck, flowers and all, and pressing her lips to his eagerly. Tyler didn't hesitate to respond, his arms winding around Caroline's waist and pulling her close as his mouth pressed fittingly against hers. They both knew that they should stop, but Caroline couldn't help but to get a little bit overly eager; she had almost lost Tyler, after all, and she might still. When Tyler's lips broke from hers she pressed her lips back to his after only a moment and moved closer to him, molding her body against his before gently tugging them both back towards the couch.

Tyler started to get a little dizzy with pleasure. Caroline's body was pressed tightly against his, her supple curves rubbing against him in all the right places, and her lips refused to separate from his own. It wasn't until they actually bumped into the couch and Caroline tried to pull him down with her that reason won out. He gently pried her off of him, grasping her shoulders and pushing her firmly down onto the couch as he straightened and pulled away.

"Caroline..." He said hoarsely.

Caroline looked up at him with wide, blue eyes, her expression somewhere between hurt and confusion. "Why did you stop?"

Tyler sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Not because I wanted to, believe me." He said as he started to pace.

Caroline looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "Then why?"

Tyler sighed and reached down to take the flowers from Caroline, setting them aside for the moment. Once that was done he sat down beside her and reached out to place his hands over hers. "Because we need to talk."

Caroline frowned. "_We need to talk_; the four words that no woman ever wants to hear."

Tyler shook his head softly. "That's not what it's like."

Caroline's lips pursed in displeasure. "Then what is it like, Tyler?"

Tyler gave a ragged sigh of frustration. "You're not making this easy, you know, Caroline."

Caroline crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "Well if you wanted me to make it easy maybe you shouldn't have lead with: _we need to talk_."

Tyler groaned. "I'm not breaking up with you, okay?"

"Then what are you doing, Tyler? Because for someone who says that we need to talk, you're sure not doing a lot of talking!"

Tyler yanked his hands off of hers and tossed them up in frustration as he stood and started pacing the room again. Caroline watched him for a long moment before finally he broke.

"Klaus. We need to talk about God damn Klaus, okay?"

"What about him?" Caroline asked.

Tyler ran a hand through his hair. "He...he wants me to talk to you."

Caroline gave him a perplexed look. "Klaus wants _you _to talk to _me_? About what?"

Tyler sighed and stopped, standing still. He placed his hands on his hips and lowered his head, examining the floor for a moment. "He wants me to negotiate a deal."

Caroline gave Tyler a look that clearly suggested he was a few fries short of a Happy Meal. "Klaus wants youto broker a deal with me, and you're agreeing to it?"

Tyler nodded his head.

Caroline sighed and looked away from him. "I should have figured this was all just a ploy. Give it up Klaus, I'm not going for it."

Tyler growled at Caroline and moved over to her in two quick strides, grasping her shoulders and gripping them until she was forced to look at him. She gasped in surprise at his sudden violence. "Tyler, what the hell?"

"I'm not Klaus, okay? And I don't fucking like this, but he's right."

"Right about what?" Caroline asked.

Tyler released his grasp on her shoulders and went back to pacing, clearly unhappy about whatever it was he was about to say.

"He's right that I can't keep you safe, Caroline. The counsel members are still on our tails. They're regrouping right now, but they'll be hunting us by the end of the week; Klaus looked into it. Our secret has spread too far for us to have any hope of stopping it; we can't stay in Mystic Falls. And the witches, they're after us. They want us all dead, Caroline, and they're powerful. All we have is Bonnie; that's not even a bloodline now that her mom is a vampire. We're _fucked_. Our only hope is to run and nobody knows how to run better than Klaus."

Caroline looked at Tyler like he had grown a third head. "You can't be serious, Tyler. Tell me you're not talking about running off and leaving our friends to fight these witches alone."

"What other choice do we have, Caroline? There's _always _another threat. It doesn't matter how many things we kill, there's always something worse. Klaus isn't even sure if it will take a special stake to kill him now that he's in my body; he might be just as vulnerable as any hybrid, and if he dies we _all _die, Caroline. I know you want to stay and fight, but is it worth the risk that all of us will die just because I do and Klaus goes with me?"

Caroline set her lips into a frown. "Then we'll put Klaus in a different body and **he **can run; I'm not abandoning our friends."

"He _won't go_, Caroline. He's in love with you, God damn it!"

Caroline gasped in surprise, her eyes widening at the revelation. If Klaus had said it she never would have believed him, but hearing it from Tyler...

"He's not in love with me." Caroline tried to deny it in spite of the arguments that her mind made, not wanting to reconcile herself with the fact.

Tyler shook his head softly. "Believe me, Caroline, I wish he wasn't, but he is. I watched him with you; I felt what he felt. I wish I fucking hadn't, because even though it's foggy I remember more than enough."

Caroline frowned. "I thought that he was you, you know that, right Tyler?"

Tyler frowned in return, clenching his hands into fists. "I know, Caroline! But that doesn't change anything!"

"I don't love him." Caroline defended herself.

Tyler nodded. "Yet."

Caroline frowned at him. "Ever."

Tyler laughed wryly. "God, I hate this son of a bitch."

"Tyler..." Caroline began, but Tyler cut her off.

"Don't. Just don't, okay Caroline? He's using my God damned body to steal my girlfriend, and the worst part is that I know it's going to work."

Caroline's eyes softened. "Tyler, I wouldn't..."

Tyler's jaw set into a hard line. "Wouldn't what, Caroline? Care about him? You already do. Why else would you keep that picture he drew for you? Cheat on me? Not really cheating if he's in my body, now is it?"

Caroline's lips pursed. "It's still cheating."

Tyler waved her off. "It doesn't matter, Caroline; I see the way he looks at you and it looks like..."

Caroline frowned. "Looks like what?"

"It looks like the way Damon looks at Elena, okay? Is that fucking clear enough for you, Caroline? Or are you going to pretend not to notice what's right in front of your nose like she did?"

Caroline's eyes widened and she looked taken aback for a moment. She looked away, not wanting to meet Tyler's eyes just then. After a long pause she gathered the courage to speak.

"Klaus isn't Damon, Tyler. I mean sure, Damon has done some bad things, but it doesn't compare to what Klaus has done."

"And yet you see the good in him." Tyler growled. Caroline opened her mouth to speak, but Tyler cut her off. "Don't deny it, Caroline. Don't insult me like that."

Caroline closed her mouth and looked down at her lap in silence.

Tyler sighed and ran a shaky hand through his hair, closing his eyes for a moment. After a long pause he spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I didn't do this to start a fight with you."

Caroline sniffled and it was then that Tyler realized she was crying.

"Then why did you start this, Tyler? What was the point in all of this?" Caroline asked in a cracking voice.

Tyler moved to kneel in front of her and placed one hand on top of hers as he lifted the other to gently wipe away her tears.

"Don't cry, Caroline." He sighed and lowered his head. "God, I'm such an ass. I'm sorry Caroline. You haven't done anything wrong. It's not your fault that he's in love with you."

"But it's my fault that I care about him. I may not love him, but even still...you're right. I'm sorry Tyler."

Tyler shook his head softly and chuckled wryly. "I don't blame you, Caroline." He sighed. "I never thought that I'd say this, but I get it. I get why you would care about him, because now I know how he feels about you."

Caroline simply frowned at him, not sure how to respond to his admission.

Tyler drew in a deep, ragged breath as he looked up at Caroline. "Look, Caroline, I didn't do this to be mean to you; I did this to tell you that I don't want you to take Klaus out of my body; at least not yet."

Caroline blinked at Tyler and stared at him, astonished. "What?" She croaked, her voice strained by tears.

Tyler licked his lips nervously. "I love you, Caroline; maybe not in the same way he does, but I love you; and if I fight him for you, I'm going to lose."

"Tyler." Caroline protested, but Tyler brought a finger to her lips to silence her. "Hear me out, okay?"

Caroline nodded and Tyler lowered his finger from her lips.

"Right now the only way that we know of to keep Klaus alive is to let him share a body with someone from his bloodline; that means that no matter what he's going to be sharing his body half of the time with someone else. If you put him in a body with someone we don't know, somebody who doesn't care about you, he's not going to be able to protect you half as well. I don't _like _the idea of sharing you Caroline, but for right now at least it's better than losing you completely, and it's damn sure better than you dying because Klaus can't help us."

Caroline frowned. "But if we leave him in your body...I'll have to act like he's you when we're around the others."

Tyler's lips curled upwards into a sardonic smirk. "I know, Caroline, believe me, I know..."

Caroline's eyebrows knitted together in concern and her lips bowed further. "Are you sure this is what you want, Tyler?"

Tyler gave a wry laugh. "Is it what I want? Fuck no. But it's the best option I have, Caroline. I don't want to lose you and I sure as hell can't bear the thought of seeing you dead; right now playing nice with Klaus is the best way I have of making sure neither happens."

Caroline bit down on her lower lip. Tyler pushed himself up off of the floor and moved to sit down beside her. He reached out and gently brushed his thumb along her lip, pulling it from between her teeth. Caroline's blue eyes lifted to meet Tyler's.

"I won't fall in love with him, you know. I won't betray you."

Tyler smirked and leaned in towards Caroline until his forehead rested against hers. "I know, Caroline." He lied smoothly as he brought his lips to hers.

They kissed frantically and passionately, her lips melding against his and his lips pressing demandingly against hers in return until they were both dizzy and gasping for air. It was as if it was the last time they would ever kiss.

And deep down both of them knew that it very well might be.

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**Author's Note: **The Klaroline/Forwood triangle thickens! What do you think? Review and let me know! :D


	26. Leaving Utopia

**Author's Note: **Here we are at Chapter 26! ^^ I want to say thank you to everyone who has continued to review, favorite, and alert the story and me as an author. I appreciate every one of you and the support that you show. :) You're all the best. I'm sorry this chapter isn't getting out until late in the day, but a) it's a long chapter and b) I got interrupted in the middle of writing it. Hopefully when you read it you'll forgive me though. :D

I didn't intend for it to be, but as it turns out: **this chapter is censored. **If you want to read the lemons check out Fell's Church Library or Adultfanfiction . net; **I highly recommend reading there because unlike Chapter 23 this time the lemons are interspersed with plot and it's likely to get a little wonky thanks to the censoring here.**

I still don't own TVD. :( Although if Julie Plec happens to be reading this and wants to hire me on as a writer, I'm totally down for it. ;) No copyright infringement is intended; now on with Chapter 26!

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**Chapter 26: Leaving Utopia**

Damon wasn't sure how long he had been awake; hours perhaps, or only a matter of minutes. He felt like he could lay there forever simply listening to Elena's deep and rhythmic breathing and staring at her softly parted lips and her dark lashes that formed perfect crescents on her cheeks. He half expected to wake up at any moment; how the hell could he be so lucky as to finally have this perfect creature here with him?

It wasn't he who awoke, but rather Elena. Her lashes fluttered open once again and a small smile played across her lips as she saw Damon's blue eyes staring at her from across the pillow while the morning sunlight drifted down through one of the portals above the bed and illuminated his form, making him look like some angel sent from heaven.

"Good morning." She ventured with sudden shyness as a soft pink blush drifted across her cheeks.

"Good morning." Damon replied as he reached out to stroke a hand along her cheek, his fingertips trailing gently along her skin and tracing the contours of her cheek and jaw.

Their eyes locked and the impulse became irresistible; Damon leaned in and pressed his lips to Elena's in a tender but lingering kiss, his mouth moving gently against hers as he reveled in the sensation of her naked skin pressed against his. He couldn't remember having ever been so happy, so content, so utterly fulfilled; he didn't just live for Elena, she literally _was _his life. Her every breath gave him purpose, her every look gave him joy; without her he couldn't possibly exist.

Eventually their lips drifted apart, but they remained close together, sharing the same breath as their noses brushed along one another.

"Damon...last night..." Elena began

Damon felt his heart seize in his chest; God no, please don't let her say it was a mistake. He didn't think he could survive it.

Elena saw the look in his eyes and placed a hand to his cheek, hastening to finish so that he wouldn't think the thoughts that were so clearly written upon his face.

"Last night was amazing and perfect and wonderful; I've never felt like that with anyone before, and I want to share that with you every night for the rest of my life."

Relief washed across Damon's face as he exhaled the breath he had been holding. "Elena..." He murmured in a husky voice as he brought his lips back down to hers. This time the gentleness was quickly swept away on a tide of passion. She started making small whimpers of pleasure into his mouth as they kissed and he quickly rolled over on top of her, nestling his body between her legs and fitting their forms together. The friction between them was delicious; he was breathless with it. And the feeling of her soft lips pressing against his while her tongue darted out to lick along his lips? Heaven, absolute and pure heaven.

Right up until the phone started ringing.

Damon growled as Elena started pushing at his chest to try and get him off of her. "They can wait." He grumbled as he started placing soft kisses to Elena's neck that made her gasp.

"It's _your _phone Damon, don't you think you should answer it?"

"Haven't answered it in two days, why start now?" He replied as his lips drifted down further and Elena started to moan.

"Could be...a problem." Elena managed to gasp.

"There's always a problem, but it's not _my _problem." Damon said before trailing his tongue along Elena's flesh in a long, slow lick.

"Damon!" Elena meant for it to be a chastisement, but it ended up as more of a gasp. The phone finally stopped ringing and Damon thought he was home free until it started ringing a _second time_.

With inhuman speed Damon grabbed his phone from his discarded pants and answered the call, putting it to his ear. "**What**?" He snapped into the phone.

Elena grimaced a bit in sympathy for whoever had called, but she couldn't resist giggling at Damon's ire.

He arched an eyebrow curiously and then mouthed to her: _Think this is funny?_

Elena nodded her head affirmatively and flashed Damon an unrepentant smile.

Damon smirked at Elena. In a flash he had her pinned to the bed, her wrists grasped in one of his hands and pressed firmly to the pillows. She gasped in surprise, but Damon placed a finger over her lips to tell her to be quiet. Elena's eyes flared with a mixture of emotions; surprise and a bit of rebellion at first, but then intrigue and a hint of excitement. After a moment's pause she nodded her head to show that she understood and would comply. Damon grinned and put the phone on speaker before tossing it down on the nightstand. As it turned out he would need his hands free; among other things.

"Geeze, you don't need to snap at me, Damon! What the hell has you so pissy?" Caroline's voice echoed from the phone.

Damon smirked as he let his fingers trace teasingly between Elena's breasts and down her stomach; when he reached the dip in her belly button she sucked in a sharp breath. The look of anticipation on her face aroused him like nothing else could.

"What has me so _pissy_, Barbie, is that you are taking me away from much more important matters." Damon barked in reply even as he grinned down at Elena. He'd been irritated beyond measure when the first call had rung through, but now...well this had its own possibilities.

His fingers traced steadily lower on Elena's skin. He earned a small whimper for his efforts.

"What the hell was that?" Caroline asked.

"What was what?" He replied nonchalantly.

Damon continued his torment of Elena, clearly unconcerned by the noises that she was making. It was a good thing too, because soon she was giving another whimper, this one slightly louder than before.

"That!" Caroline replied as she heard the sound again.

"That? I got a puppy."

Caroline literally pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it as if she might actually be able to see Damon through the phone and determine whether he had gone crazy. After a moment she put the phone back to her ear and shook her head softly.

"A puppy?" She questioned, clearly skeptical.

Damon's fingers played across Elena's body like a master pianist playing a baby grand. Elena bit down on her lower lip to keep from making any further sound and clenched her hands into fists as her body quivered with pleasure.

"Yes, a puppy." Damon replied, nonplussed.

Elena's head fell back with pleasure and she arched beneath Damon's touch, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

"What the hell are you going to do with a puppy?" Caroline asked incredulously.

"I'm going to eat it. I've decided to join my brother in his hatred of things small and furry." He replied sarcastically to Caroline.

Damon decided that it was high time he started using other parts of his anatomy to torment Elena; more specifically his tongue. He had to release Elena's hands to do so, which was regrettable, but he didn't mind in the least when she buried her hands in his hair and started writhing and arching beneath him. Within seconds a small, strangled cry of pleasure escaped her in spite of her efforts to keep quiet.

"That doesn't sound like a fucking puppy, Damon. Tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing!" Caroline snapped at him through the phone.

Elena turned beet red and rolled over, burying her face in the pillows. Damon simply chuckled as he licked his fingers clean, savoring the sweet taste of Elena. "Alright, Barbie, I'm not doing what you think I'm doing."

"Ew, just, ew! Gross Damon! I so didn't need to be a part of that. I feel dirty now."

Damon laughed. "That's what you get for calling and interrupting me. Now get to the point."

Damon had actually been focusing on his conversation, so he hadn't seen Elena getting over her bashfulness. He hadn't seen her crawling across the bed back towards him and so he had little advance notice before Elena started to torment him in return.

Damon bit back a groan and reached down to grasp the strands of Elena's silky brown hair in his fingers, gripping them tightly and using his grip on her hair to pull her off of him for a moment.

_What are you doing? _He mouthed.

Elena grinned unrepentantly. _What does it look like?_ She mouthed back before returning to what she had been doing.

Damon's eyes slid closed and he drew in a deep, ragged breath. Fuck, this girl was going to be the death of him.

"Earth calling Damon!" The phone barked at him.

"What, Blondie?" Damon managed to rasp.

"I asked when you were getting back; we sort of need- Holy shit."

"You need holy shit? What the fuck Caroline? Can you form a coherent sentence?" Because he was sure as hell having a hard time doing so with the way that Elena's mouth was tormenting him.

"Uh...Rebekah is naked in your house."

"And?" Damon growled.

"_And? _Do I really need an '_and'_ there, Damon?"

Damon growled at Caroline. "Look; right now I don't give a fuck if Rebekah is naked in the middle of the town square. We're in Norfolk and we'll be home in four hours."

"But Norfolk is only three hours away!" Caroline protested.

"I'm _aware_, Caroline."

"Oh...OH!" Caroline gasped, her cheeks flaming with color. "Okay...yeah...I think I'm going to go somewhere where people _aren't _having sex. Give me a call when you're back in town and you have clothes on."

"Sure thing, Caroline." Damon disconnected the call without so much as a goodbye and then growled down at Elena. "You little minx."

Elena looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "Turnabout is fair play." She said with a smirk.

"That it is." Damon said, smirking right back at her before scooping her up and tossing her over his shoulder.

Elena squealed. "Damon! What the hell?"

Damon carried Elena into the bathroom and continued to hold her over his shoulder as he turned on the shower. When he had adjusted the water to the correct temperature he sat her back down on her feet and pushed her gently back into the shower before following behind her and closing the shower door behind them.

"What are you doing?" Elena gasped, her pupils dilated with excitement.

Damon smirked at her. "Turnabout is fair play, right Elena?" He moved so fast that even with her vampire senses Elena could barely see him. One second he was standing by the shower door and the next he had turned her around and had her pressed against the shower wall while his front pressed firmly against her back. "So...turn about."

Breathless and panting, Damon slowly pulled himself from Elena and lowered her back down to her feet. When it seemed that her legs might give out from under her he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as he moved to lean back against the wall, letting the hard surface support both of their weights.

They remained quiet for a minute, holding each other as the shower spray misted their bodies and reveling in the glow of their lovemaking. Their bodies still trembled with the remembered pleasure and they clung to each other as if their lives depended on it.

"I don't think our shower got us very clean." Elena finally said with a soft laugh against Damon's chest.

Damon smiled and brushed a hand through her hair. "Don't worry, it will." He promised.

With heartbreaking tenderness Damon began to make good on that promise, pouring shampoo into his hands and gently beginning to massage it into Elena's scalp until she was practically falling asleep from relaxation. He rinsed the suds from her hair with equal tenderness as Elena bit down on her lower lip and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. The simple gestures of affection in the wake of such passion meant more to her than words could describe. Wanting to return the favor she grasped a washcloth in her hand and soaped it up before beginning to wash Damon clean of the sweat of their exertions and the salt water that clung to their skin even still.

They both took turns bathing each other, worshipping each and every single inch of their lover's body. When they finally finished the water was just beginning to turn cold, showing that they had stayed in the shower for far longer than they should have. Damon reluctantly shut off the water and opened up the shower door, reaching out and grabbing a towel which he wrapped snugly around Elena before kissing the top of her head gently.

"We should get dressed and get out of here." He admitted reluctantly. "As much as I hate to admit it, Vampire Barbie is right; we need to be back in Mystic Falls in case shit hits the fan."

Elena nodded numbly, loathing the idea of leaving their haven and this perfect time with Damon behind, but knowing that he was right and that she could never live with herself if she abandoned her friends. She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh before following Damon out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

They set about getting ready without speaking; words just seemed superficial at this point, though there were plenty of stolen glances. Damon had clean clothes in the dresser near the bed, but Elena wasn't so lucky. When he caught her eyeing her rumpled dress skeptically he smirked and offered out one of his button-down shirts and a pair of boxers without a word. Elena smiled at his offering and took both gratefully, sliding into the boxers first and then working on buttoning up the shirt.

Damon finished getting dressed before she did; with nothing better to do he moved to help Elena with his shirt, brushing her hands away from the buttons gently and taking over in her stead. When he was finished he leaned in and brushed his lips softly along hers. Elena returned his kiss with equal gentleness, letting her lips mold to his and linger as long as they could.

Damon smiled softly at Elena as he pulled back and straightened. He offered her a hand. "Come on, it's time to take this ship back into harbor."

Elena nodded reluctantly and followed him back above deck.

As they exited from below deck the sunlight hit their eyes once again, blinding them for a moment. The day was already in full swing; Damon could see boats moving about in the distance.

Elena grimaced at the light, but she didn't rush downstairs to retrieve her sunglasses; as Damon had predicted, she was slowly becoming accustomed to the intensity of the light on her enhanced senses. The sailing lessons began again as Damon patiently coached her on how to adjust the main sail and steer the boat. Elena found herself smiling and enjoying herself, even while a part of her grew anxious at the thought of leaving the boat and returning to Mystic Falls.

She grew even more anxious when they started to approach the harbor and more boats and people came into view; Elena was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was dressed only in Damon's shirt and a pair of boxers.

Damon noticed her discomfort and gave a small smile. "You can go back below deck if you want."

Elena shook her head softly. "I'd rather stay up here with you."

Damon's smile widened at her response and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Good, because I'd rather you be here with me." He wrapped his arms around her and helped her to steer, his larger form shielding her from the inspection of any passersby.

All too soon they were bringing the ship into dock. They killed the engine and lowered the sails before Damon dropped anchor and leapt off of the boat to secure them to the boat slip. When he was finally done and everything was in order he came back to collect Elena, who was returning from below where she had been gathering their things as Damon secured the boat.

"I don't think I can walk to the car in these heels." She said, holding up the heels that she had discarded last night.

Damon smirked softly. "Don't worry; I'm sure I can manage." He scooped her up into his arms without a second thought, her weight barely enough to even be considered a burden in his arms.

Elena smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as she leaned her head onto his chest. "You know, I think I could get used to this."

Damon leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. "So could I." He agreed as he carried her off of the boat and down the wharf towards the shore.

As Damon carried her away from the boat Elena lifted her head and peered back over Damon's shoulder at the boat. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise at the name. "Your boat is named Utopia?" She asked him, genuinely shocked that he would pick such a whimsical name.

Damon smirked and peered down at Elena. "Why? Don't like it?"

Elena shook her head softly and let her head drop back down to his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing as it mingled with the retreating sound of the ocean's waves.

"No…I think it's perfect."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, I was totally going a different direction with this chapter, but Elena and Damon weren't having it, so there you go! Another chapter of mushiness and Delena goodness; I hope you enjoyed it! ^^ I sure enjoyed writing it. I'm sure we'll get back to the plot next chapter; until then enjoy your extra dose of Delena! As always, reviews are appreciated. :D


	27. Old Flames

**Author's Note: **I want to start by apologizing for not getting a chapter up yesterday. D: I'm sorry, but I had a mid-day appointment and a bunch of other stuff that came up. I also want to warn that I'm going to be running around tomorrow as well, so I may or may not get a chapter up then, but I'll do my best.

I also have good news/bad news. The good news is I got a job! :D The bad news is that means I'll be working (only part time, but still) so you may find that I'm only updating every other day or so. The good news for you guys is that I don't start until the 25th, so you should still have another week or so with nearly daily updates. :) I may even get to the end before I start working, but given the story, I wouldn't count on it. XD

Shout outs for this chapter go to Lestatian and Salvatore-Means-Savior who joined my multi-review club this go-round, and to my unregistered reviewer Carla. As always, thanks so much to everyone who reads and reviews! I love you all! ^^

Now, about the story: **this chapter** **is censored**, but this time it's for Rebekah and Stefan, so if you don't want to see that, feel free to just read the censored version. There's not really a mix of plot and adult content in this chapter like there was in the last, so you shouldn't miss much.

To clear up any confusion before we get started: **this chapter runs concurrently with Chapter 26**; it picks up before Chapter 26 starts off and will end somewhere in the middle of Chapter 26 (in a different locale with different characters, of course). With that being said, here goes Chapter 27! ^^

* * *

**Chapter 27: Old Flames**

Stefan rushed out of the grill and looked around frantically for Rebekah. He didn't see her at first, but he could smell her scent lingering on the air. He started walking down the street, both thankful for the people there because it meant Rebekah couldn't have used her supernatural speed and irritated with them because it meant that neither could he.

Eventually he caught sight of a familiar head of blonde hair. He reached out to grasp the woman by her arm. "Rebekah," he called to the woman, only to have her turn around and look at him as if he had gone mad. It wasn't her after all.

Stefan frowned. "I'm sorry; I thought you were someone else." He released his hold on the woman and she kept on walking. Stefan sighed and ran a hand through his hair, musing on the futility of the situation; Rebekah could be anywhere and if she didn't want him to find her he didn't have a chance in hell of doing so.

It was as he was ruminating on his slight to nonexistent chance of finding Rebekah that a hand reached out and grasped him fiercely, dragging him unceremoniously from the street and into a side alley. He gave a growl and prepared himself to fight; it would seem that the damned witches had sent their messenger quite quickly.

Only it wasn't some vampire hunter with an indestructible stake that had dragged him into the alley, but rather the same blonde vampire that he had been searching for: Rebekah.

She growled at Stefan as she tossed him up against a wall, manhandling him as if he were a ragdoll and showing about as much concern for his well being. "Why are you following me, Stefan? I thought I made it fairly clear back at the grill that I don't want to speak to you."

Stefan nodded numbly, trying to get his fuzzy brain to process what was going on and formulate a response that wasn't going to set off Rebekah.

"You did." He agreed.

Rebekah raised her eyebrows as if to say: _well?_

"I decided I didn't want to listen." Stefan offered after a moment's thought.

Rebekah wrapped a hand around his throat and squeezed. "And if I decide that I don't want to allow you to go on living?"

"You won't." Stefan gasped around the pressure of Rebekah's hand.

Rebekah narrowed her eyes at him and squeezed his throat a little tighter before tossing him aside, releasing her hold on his throat and letting him stumble back onto his feet. He coughed a few times as he tried to get air back into his lungs.

"You seem awfully certain that I won't kill you, Stefan. You overestimate your value to me."

Stefan straightened, drawing in a deep breath and letting out slowly as he tried to recover from her attack. He paused for a moment, looking her over, and then spoke again. "I don't think I do."

Rebekah crossed her arms beneath her breasts and set her mouth into a thin line. "And what makes you so sure?"

Stefan smirked. "I'm not dead, now am I?"

Rebekah growled at him. "I could fix that."

Stefan shook his head at her and held out his hands. "Fine, then do it. Come on Rebekah, kill me."

Rebekah frowned at him, eyeing him for a moment. After a few heartbeats she exhaled a sigh and closed her eyes. "Alright, fine, I won't kill you; now what do you want, Stefan?"

"I want a chance to explain myself. I want to talk about the things that happened in our past and with Katherine back in the bar; and I want to talk about us _now_."

Rebekah laughed a little hysterically. "Us, now? In case you haven't noticed, Stefan, there _is_ no us now."

"There could be." Stefan replied seriously.

Rebekah's lips bowed downwards as Stefan gave his reply; she would have liked to believe him, but after the display with Katherine, why should she? Still...he said he wanted to talk, the least she could do was hear him out, right?

Rebekah heaved a sigh and nodded. "Fine. Explain yourself."

Stefan smirked and looked around at their surroundings: the dim lighting and the faint smell of garbage and standing water that permeated the alley. "Here?"

"You have another place in mind?"

Stefan nodded softly. "I was thinking back at the boarding house. Damon and Elena went out and I don't think that they'll be back until late, so we can have a drink and talk about things."

"The last thing _you _need is something more to drink." Rebekah replied.

Stefan held up his hands defensively. "Alright, no drinks then, just talking."

Rebekah paused for a moment and then slowly nodded. "Okay."

Stefan extended a hand to her. Rebekah stared at it for a moment and then slowly slipped her palm into his. The gesture was so familiar that Rebekah had to remind herself that they hadn't been together in almost a century.

Stefan smiled as Rebekah accepted his hand and then squeezed her hand gently in his own. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

Stefan opened up the front door to the boarding house and then looked around curiously, making sure that Damon and Elena were still out; he was beginning to accept the fact that he and Elena were over, but he still didn't particularly want to see his brother going at it with his ex-girlfriend. When he was certain that the coast was clear he opened the door the rest of the way and stepped aside to let Rebekah in. "After you." He said politely as he held the door for her.

Rebekah stepped inside of the boarding house and looked around for a brief moment before turning her attention back to Stefan, who was closing the door behind them.

"So..." Rebekah began, trailing off.

Stefan smirked at her. "Might as well make ourselves comfortable." He gestured to the living room and then moved in that direction himself, walking over to one of the couches and taking residence on the left side. Rebekah followed and sat on the right, leaving a space between them that was nothing if not noticeable.

"Yeah...comfortable." Rebekah quipped sarcastically as silence filled the air.

Stefan laughed and shook his head softly. "Yeah, I guess it is a little awkward."

"Why is that again?" Rebekah asked with a somewhat playful grin.

"I think because we just had a giant argument about my ex-girlfriend and how she and I are both worthless." Stefan replied with a smirk.

"Oh yes, that's right." Rebekah responded with a chuckle before shaking her head and becoming more serious. "So...about your ex-girlfriend..."

Stefan sighed and leaned back. "Ask away."

Rebekah raised an eyebrow curiously. "I thought that _you _wanted a chance to explain yourself?"

Stefan nodded. "I do, but I'm not going to know what's bothering you unless you ask, so...ask."

Rebekah eyed him for a moment, obviously dubious about this plan. "Fine. Are you still in love with Katherine?"

Stefan paused, considering his answer, and Rebekah stood to leave. Stefan reached out and caught her hand, making her turn and look at him.

"Sit, please." Stefan requested.

"If you have to think about it that's answer enough." Rebekah replied.

"You want honest answers, don't you? Honest answers require thought."

Rebekah frowned and narrowed her gaze at him, but eventually she relented and sat down once again. Stefan took this as a cue and released his hold on her as he began to speak.

"I think a part of me will always be in love with her. Love doesn't just go away." Stefan replied.

Rebekah rolled her eyes at him. "Oh come off it. She compelled and manipulated you; that's not exactly love."

Stefan smirked softly and nodded. "Sometimes, yes, but that doesn't change the feelings. Look at all that Klaus has done to you, but you love him still, don't you?"

"That's different. Klaus is my family." Rebekah protested, her lips bowing downwards.

"Is it really different? If he was family and you had never known him, would you feel the same?"

Rebekah paused, seeming to genuinely consider the question. "I suppose not."

Stefan nodded. "So, yes, I still love her, just like I still love Elena, but that doesn't mean that I'm supposed to be with her any more than I'm supposed to be with Elena."

Rebekah slid her gaze over Stefan in an assessing fashion. "Why _do _you love her? So many people seem to love her...I can't understand the devotion."

Stefan shook his head softly. "Why do people love you, Rebekah? Love isn't simple, there's not one reason why you love someone. When I met her Katherine was mysterious, different. She had a playfulness and a freedom of spirit that a lot of women of the time lacked. She didn't want to settle down and start a family; she wanted to travel the world and experience things. I know she seems manipulative and cold hearted at times, but deep down she cares; she's just been screwed over so many times by the people she loves that she can't really find it in her to trust anyone completely. That's why she can't really connect with anyone."

Rebekah shook her head and turned away for a moment. "You see a lot of good in a seemingly unredeemable woman."

Stefan smirked. "I see a lot of good in you and a lot of people would say that you're unredeemable."

Rebekah gave him a droll look before drawing in a deep breath and pushing her shoulders back. "Fine...so you see the good in Katherine, you love her, why not be with her?"

"Because we bring out the worst in each other." Stefan shook his head softly. "Katherine needs me, even loves me in some recess of her heart I'm sure, but she doesn't try to make me a better person. She doesn't care if I'm the Ripper again as long as I'm with her, and I can't do that anymore. I can't just lose myself. I've spent so many years basing who I am on who I'm with that I've lost count. It's _easy _to do that...Katherine will let me...you won't."

Rebekah scrunched her nose at him. "How do you know that? You were the Ripper when we were together before; why should I care if you go down that road again?"

Stefan gave her a wry grin. "Because you know that I don't want it. You try to play tough, Rebekah, but the truth is that you do care about me...care about people. You've just learned that showing love is a dangerous proposition. If you didn't care you wouldn't have helped Damon when he tried to get me to drink human blood again and you certainly wouldn't have tried to leave Klaus to be with me."

Rebekah frowned. "I never said I didn't care about _you_."

Stefan reached out and slid his fingers through Rebekah's hair, gently brushing the strands away from her face and then sliding his fingertips along her cheek. Rebekah looked up, meeting his eyes for a moment.

"I know, Rebekah." Stefan replied. He leaned in as if to kiss her, but Rebekah hastily pulled back and turned her head away, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"You hurt me, you know. I was stuck in that coffin for nearly a century."

Stefan's lips curved downwards as he looked at the curve of Rebekah's shoulder and the fall of her long, blonde hair. He wished he could see her face so that he could read her better. "I'm sorry Rebekah; I should have come for you, but I didn't know what had happened. Klaus compelled me to forget you both."

Rebekah shook her head and gave a humorless laugh. "God, Stefan, you're such an _idiot_. You think I expected you to rescue me?"

Stefan frowned, clearly confused. "I left you in Klaus' hands for nearly a century; yes, I expected you to be upset about it."

Rebekah chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Always trying to be the white knight, aren't you Stefan? I didn't expect you to save me, you idiot; I expected you to wait for me, or at the very least to come back to me when I returned." Rebekah smirked and looked away again. "But you were with _Elena_, who just so happens to be the spitting image of _Katherine_."

Stefan ran a hand through his hair nervously. "What do you want me to say, Rebekah? Yeah, I fell in love with someone else. Yes, she was Katherine's doppelganger. I can't change the past and I won't lie to you. I loved Katherine _before _I met you and I was with Elena _before_ Klaus restored my memory. No, I didn't drop everything and run back to you the second I remembered you and I'm sorry for that. If I had I could have spared my brother a lot of pain and Elena would still be alive; but then your brother would still be hunting her and I couldn't stand that. So yes, I'm _sorry _I hurt you, Rebekah, but I'm not sorry about the way things turned out. This was how it had to be."

Rebekah frowned and stood again. Stefan was afraid she was going to make a break for the door and he would never see her again, but instead she started pacing the floor, walking back and forth in front of the lifeless fireplace.

"You're sorry you hurt me. _That's _your big apology?" Rebekah snapped at him as she paced.

Stefan frowned at her. "What else do you want me to say?"

"I don't want you to _say _anything! I want you to kiss me like you used to and make me forget that you were in love with somebody else!"

Stefan stared at her in stunned silence for a moment, hesitating. Did he really want to do this? To start this again?

Yes. Resoundingly yes.

He moved off of the couch with supernatural speed and before Rebekah could blink she found herself wrapped in his arms with his lips molded against hers. Maybe it was because he had finally let go of Elena, or maybe it was because he had come to the realization that no matter how much he loved Katherine they would never be good for each other, Rebekah couldn't say, but regardless his kiss wasn't as passionate as it had once been; it was better.

Rebekah's eyes slipped closed as she started to lose herself in the kiss. The press of his mouth against hers drove back all of her worries and her doubts and the caress of his tongue along her lips made her forget about everything completely. All that remained was her and Stefan and almost a hundred years of repressed desire.

In spite of the ardor of his kiss, Stefan wasn't pressing anything; his hands remained in only the appropriate places, one curled around the back of her neck and the other on her hip. Even his body was rigid as he tried not to force himself on her; always the white knight, but that wasn't what Rebekah wanted tonight.

She shoved him away from her harshly and Stefan stumbled back, looking shocked and bewildered as he tried to figure out what he had done to earn her rebuke. While Stefan puzzled over her actions Rebekah strode towards him confidently and then shoved him down on the couch before crawling on top of him, straddling his lap as she grasped at his shirt and simply ripped it in two.

"I'm not Elena; I'm not interested in you saving me and treating me like some blushing virgin, so stop acting like I'm a delicate flower and fuck me properly." Rebekah admonished him before leaning down and pressing her lips to his once again.

* * *

Rebekah stirred first, the sound of the door opening making her crack open her eyes. The sound soon retreated and Rebekah thought little of it; probably Damon, no cause for concern, she assumed.

She was almost back to sleep when the footsteps grew louder again and she could hear a distinctly feminine voice breaking through her sleepy fog.

"I asked when you were getting back; we sort of need- Holy shit."

There was a pause as whoever was on the other end of the line responded to Caroline's abrupt exclamation.

"Uh...Rebekah is naked in your house."

Rebekah lifted her head sleepily and gave Caroline a droll look. "Rebekah _was_ sleeping." She muttered grumpily. Caroline didn't seem to be paying attention, likely because she was listening to whoever was on the phone; assumedly Damon since Stefan was sleeping soundly on the couch still.

"_And? _Do I really need an '_and'_ there, Damon?"

Yep, definitely Damon. Caroline seemed quite upset for someone who had practically given her the go ahead to pursue Stefan; then again being okay with the concept of someone sleeping with your friend and actually finding them naked together was another matter.

"But Norfolk is only three hours away!" Caroline screeched at Damon.

Apparently Damon was none too happy to be disturbed either; not that Rebekah was surprised.

"Oh...OH!" Caroline gasped, her cheeks flaming with color. "Okay...yeah...I think I'm going to go somewhere where people _aren't _having sex. Give me a call when you're back in town and you have clothes on."

Rebekah couldn't help but to chuckle; she could only imagine what Damon had said to Caroline; apparently he was still having his way with Elena. The man had stamina, she would give him that.

Caroline stuck the phone back in her pocket as the call was disconnected and met Rebekah's gaze, still blushing. "So...yeah...I'm going to go." She pointed towards the door.

Rebekah's lips curved upwards into a sly smile; she couldn't resist the opportunity to fuck with the girl. "Are you sure? You could stay, you know." Rebekah said, eyeing her pointedly.

Rebekah didn't think she'd ever seen the little blonde move so fast. In the bat of an eye the girl was out the door and Rebekah could hear her car leaving the driveway.

Stefan sat up, rubbing his eyes to clear the sleep from them. "What the hell?" He muttered.

Rebekah smirked and looked over her shoulder at him. "Apparently Caroline isn't interested in a threesome. Pity; she is quite attractive."

Stefan chuckled and shook his head at her. "Rebekah, you shouldn't be so cruel to her. You two could be friends you know."

Rebekah flashed him an unrepentant smile. "Then she'll have to get used to my teasing, won't she?"

Stefan rolled his eyes at her and reached up to brush a strand of hair away from her face, not bothering to give a reply.

Rebekah smiled down at Stefan in return. "So...your brother and Elena are still at least three hours away...what do you say about having a proper second round in your bedroom?"

Stefan chuckled and sat up enough to press a kiss to her lips. "I think that sounds like the best idea I've heard all week."

* * *

**Author's Note: **There's the chapter. :D Hopefully you liked it, I'm sure that there are quite a few of you that aren't Rebekah/Stefan fans, but cut me some slack, okay? :-P Reviews are appreciated as always!


	28. Girl Talk

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's late, but I've been super busy and battling fatigue and writer's block. D: Regardless, Chapter 28 is finally here! :D I'm going to save the lengthy author's note this time and just post and get it up, but I love you all and thank you for all of your support! ^^

I still don't own The Vampire Diaries and no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 28: Girl Talk**

Caroline sighed as she reached up to rub the back of her neck, leaning her head back to try and relieve the strain. She felt like she was going to get stuck in a hunched over position and have to walk around like a grandmother with osteoporosis for the rest of her life. They had been at this for hours without any scrap of progress. Apparently Esther hadn't just had one grimoire, but _dozens_, most of which weren't even written in anything _approaching _English. Trying to figure out who might be hunting them was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack, only they didn't even know if there was a needle **in **the haystack.

"Shoot me now." Caroline groaned.

"I'm not enjoying this any more than you are." Bonnie chirped in reply.

Caroline closed the grimoire that she had been examining and tossed it onto the nearby coffee table with a resounding **whump**.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow curiously. "You might want to be more delicate with those things, Caroline. They are pretty old and the originals want them back."

Caroline put her hands over her face and gave a short squeal of frustration. "Well maybe the damned originals should be here helping us to look through them!" She growled as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts sulkily. "At least they would be able to _read_ the damned things."

Bonnie gave Caroline a skeptical look. "You really want the originals sitting on my couch trying to comb over grimoires?"

Caroline gave a huff of frustration. "Yes! No! I don't know!" She looked towards Bonnie. "Do you ever feel like everybody except you is getting laid?"

"Woah!" Bonnie said, closing up the grimoire she had been examining and setting it aside for the moment in a more delicate fashion than Caroline had set aside hers. "Okay, _that _came out of left field. Let's back up a step here…everybody except you is getting laid?"

Caroline sighed and ran a hand through her hair, tousling the blonde curls just a bit. "Okay, maybe not everybody, I mean you're not getting laid."

"Uh huh." Bonnie said in a flat tone.

Caroline blinked. "Wait…you're getting laid too? Bonnie! You're sleeping with Jeremy? I thought you two were fighting!"

"We are." Bonnie replied.

"Jamie?" Caroline questioned.

"No." Bonnie said, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"Then who?" Caroline demanded.

"Are we going to talk about me or are we going to talk about you?" Bonnie asked, avoiding Caroline's question.

Caroline rolled her eyes at Bonnie. "Alright, I get it; you don't want to talk about it. I'll let it go for now, but don't think you've heard the last of this!"

Bonnie sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Believe me, I know this isn't the last I'll hear of it."

"As long as you know." Caroline chirped cheerily. "But anyway, you have your mystery guy, apparently, Damon and Elena are together now, and then this morning I caught Rebekah and Stefan snuggling naked at the boarding house."

Bonnie wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Rebekah and Stefan, really?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Focus please, Bonnie!"

Bonnie shook her head at Caroline. "Okay, so people have hooked up…what's your point? It's not really all that different than before."

"But it is different! Before Tyler wasn't the modern day version of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde! I don't know how the hell to deal with Klaus being in his body!"

Bonnie frowned, realizing the source of Caroline's distress. "I know, Caroline. I'm sorry; if there had been another option I would have taken it, but Tyler was the only one I could use for the spell at the time. We can look for another one of Klaus' children; surely there have to be some still alive and kicking that could work, I just didn't have time to look before."

Caroline shook her head. "Tyler doesn't want you to."

Bonnie blinked. "What?"

Caroline sighed. "Tyler was back to himself last night. We talked and he told me he doesn't want you to separate him and Klaus, at least not yet."

"But _why_?" Bonnie asked.

"He says that Klaus is in love with me. Tyler is afraid that if Klaus is in someone else's body he won't be able to protect me as well because whoever he's inhabiting won't care about me and want to stick around Mystic Falls like Tyler does."

Bonnie's eyes softened. "That's really sweet; sad, but really sweet."

Caroline nodded softly, staring down at her lap. "Yeah."

Bonnie frowned. "Is there something you're not telling me, Caroline?"

Caroline licked her lips nervously. "Tyler thinks…he thinks that I'm going to fall for Klaus."

Bonnie recoiled at the words. "What? That's ridiculous; how could he think such a thing?"

Caroline was silent for a while. As the silence grew longer Bonnie's eyes widened. "Isn't it?"

Caroline looked away for a moment. "Yeah, of course it is! I mean, I think it is." She frowned. "It's just…something that Klaus said at the decade dance, it has really been bothering me."

"And that would be?" Bonnie questioned as she tilted her head to the side curiously.

A deep breath was drawn past Caroline's lips and then slowly exhaled. "He said…that a small town boy and a small town life weren't going to be enough for me…and that someday I would want what he was offering."

"And you think he's right." Bonnie surmised.

Caroline nodded her head numbly. "Yeah…yeah I do, Bonnie. I mean, I didn't want to admit it at first, but I find myself thinking about it more and more lately. A year ago I never considered that there _was _any option besides going off to college, getting a job and starting a family. Now though…"

"Now that's not even really an option?" Bonnie finished for her.

Caroline's head bobbed in agreement. "Yeah, and a part of me thinks that Klaus is right. I just keep thinking…summer is almost here. Prom is this week and then we have a couple weeks of senior activities and that's it. High school is almost _over _Bonnie, and I keep wondering what the hell I'm supposed to do with my life."

Bonnie gave Caroline a wistful smile. "You're not the only senior who feels that way."

"Are they vampires with a hybrid boyfriend who's sharing his body with a hybrid original, both of whom are in love with her? If so, I'd really like their advice." Caroline breathed out a sigh.

Bonnie pursed her lips softly. "No, I suppose they're not. I'm sorry Caroline; I wish I could tell you what to do or wave a magic wand and make it all better, but I can't."

"Well damn it, what the hell good is it to have a witch for a friend if she can't twitch her nose and make everything better?"

Bonnie chuckled. "Uhm…I make a mean peanut butter and jelly?"

Caroline grinned and leaned over to wrap her arms around Bonnie, pulling her into a hug which Bonnie returned. After a moment the two girls released each other.

"As much as it _pains _me to say this…maybe you should talk to Klaus? I can't stand the guy, but he does seem to have a soft spot for you; I can't argue that. Maybe now that he's sharing a body with Tyler he'll be different?" Bonnie ventured.

Caroline gave Bonnie a skeptical look. "Do you really believe that?"

Bonnie shook her head softly. "Not a word of it; the being different part, anyway. He _is _different around you though…maybe that counts for something?"

Caroline sighed. "But he has done so much to us! Especially to Elena…"

Bonnie nodded her head in agreement. "Believe me; I'm trying hard not to make that argument."

Caroline peered at her curiously. "Why _aren't _you making that argument?"

Bonnie paused for a moment before pushing a sigh past her lips. "Because I tried that with Elena and look where it got me; Elena still ended up with Damon in the end and in between the choice just tormented her. I was trying to be a good friend, but really all I did was push her away and alienate her. Elena won't ever admit it or say anything about it, but in my heart I know it's true. And really…what do I know? I'm no older or wiser than you or Elena. I can tell you what I think, but who's to say that what I think is right? Obviously Damon loves Elena and in spite of all his flaws Elena loves him, so who am I to say that they can't be happy together? Granted _Klaus _is a whole different ballgame, but you know what? I'm through with judging. If there's one thing that the past year has taught me it's that nothing is ever what it seems."

Caroline gave a sharp bark of laughter before covering her lips. "Amen to that, sister."

Bonnie grinned at Caroline and nudged her gently. "So…no more judging, no matter what names Damon calls me. I don't want to be like Esther and my ancestors: unable to rest and find peace because I'm tethered to some insane quest for vengeance. I just…want to live my life the best way I can and let everybody else live theirs as much as possible."

Caroline smiled at Bonnie and hugged her gently. "Sounds like a plan."

Bonnie picked up Caroline's discarded grimoire and handed it back to her. "So let's keep looking so that we can _have_ a future; whatever future we decide we want. The answer has to be in one of these, right?"

Caroline groaned and made a little sobbing noise. "And if it's not?"

Bonnie drew in a deep breath and set her shoulders. "If it's not…we keep looking until whoever it is shows up on our doorstep."

Caroline flipped open her grimoire less than enthusiastically. "Great…more looking."

Bonnie chuckled softly and grabbed her own grimoire, opening it up. "Yes, more looking."

Caroline turned a few pages in the grimoire before glancing at Bonnie. "You know, if you're going to make me comb through this _painfully _boring stuff, the least you could do is tell me about this mystery guy of yours."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine; we're not actually sleeping together."

"Thank God for small favors. At least I'm not the only one whose sex life is lacking."

"Caroline!" Bonnie barked at her.

"What?" Caroline asked unrepentant. "I totally respect the fact that you're a virgin; unless of course you're not a virgin anymore and you didn't tell us, in which case I hate you forever."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You're really not going to leave me alone until I tell you about this, are you?"

"Nope." Caroline replied.

Bonnie sighed. "Fine! But it doesn't leave this room, understand?"

Caroline made a motion as if she was locking her mouth and then throwing away the key.

"It's Matt."

Caroline's eyes went as wide as saucers. "**What?**"

Bonnie slapped a hand over Caroline's mouth. "Jesus Christ, Caroline! Damon and Elena are probably going to be here soon, it won't be a secret if you go around shouting about it!"

Caroline rolled her eyes and waited for Bonnie to remove the hand she'd slapped over her mouth. Once Bonnie relented and Caroline was free again she started speaking at a rapid fire pace. "Well excuse me, Bonnie, but Matt? You guys have known each other since grade school and you've never shown any interest."

Bonnie's cheeks darkened a little. "Yeah, well, you and Elena both knew him when he was little too and that didn't stop either of you."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but Matt had a crush on Elena for forever and Matt and I were just…well…Matt and I." She shrugged her shoulders. "_You _and Matt is out of left field though. When did this happen? And why haven't you told anybody?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes at Caroline. "Your reaction isn't explanation enough?"

Caroline gave Bonnie a droll look. "It's not like I'm upset, Bonnie, I'm just shocked."

Bonnie stared down at the grimoire she was holding, examining the page to avoid looking at Caroline. "Yeah, well, I was shocked too. It just happened; that's why I haven't told anybody."

Bonnie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, steadying herself for her admission. "It started the night that Elena turned and I took Matt home. I didn't feel right leaving him by himself, so I stayed and we talked for a long time. We actually have a lot in common. I guess we're kind of the opposite of you; all we want is our small town life back."

A wistful smile played across Bonnie's lips as she raised her head to look at Caroline. "In a roundabout way he's actually the one that kind of helped me to rethink my perspective on everything and to realize that my version of _helping _wasn't all that helpful. He was really torn up with guilt over what he had done to Elena. Talking to him about it made me realize that I was doing the same thing that he was: trying to force Elena to make the choice that I would make rather than helping her to make her own choices. So we decided that maybe this free will thing that Stefan's always talking about is actually good in moderation. And then we decided to go to Prom together."

"Aww!" Caroline cooed. "That's so sweet! I'm really happy for you two, Bonnie."

Bonnie smiled at her and reached out to take one of Caroline's hands in her own, squeezing it tightly. "Thanks, Care."

Caroline smiled. "Anytime, Bonnie; even if I'm undead, we're still BFF's."

Bonnie laughed and gave Caroline another hug. "Good to hear it. Now let's get back to looking for who the witches are sending after us so we can save your undead butt."

Caroline pouted at Bonnie, but relented; albeit sulkily. "Fine." She said as she turned back to the grimoire on her lap, muttering about how Bonnie spoiled all her fun.

After a few minutes Caroline gasped. "Bonnie!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes at Caroline. "What now, Caroline? If we keep taking breaks we'll never get through these things."

"No, Bonnie, seriously, look!" Caroline shoved the grimoire in front of her face. "I can't read whatever language that is, but I'm pretty sure it's Latin for _we're fucked_."

Bonnie took one look down at the picture on the page and understood exactly what Caroline meant: five hooded figures with pentagram talismans hung around their neck all clutching stakes: a coven of vampire hunters.

"Well…shit." Bonnie replied eloquently. "I guess it's time to call another meeting…"

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**Author's Note: **That's it for Chapter 28! What do you think? :D I know the Matt/Bonnie thing came from out of left field, but hopefully you all like it, or at least can tolerate it. XD Review and let me know! ^^


	29. Without You

**Author's Note: **I want to begin by saying: **YAY! 350+ reviews! **Okay, yeah, we passed that mark a couple of days ago. XD But I have been busy and doing my best just to get chapters out as quickly as I can which means I haven't been checking stats. I want to thank all of you that review and especially all of you in my multi-review club. :D There's too many of you to list now, but know that I love you all! Thank you so much for continuing to show your support!

So if anybody out there is filthy rich and wants to buy the rights to The Vampire Diaries for me that'd be epic. XP But until such time I still don't own TVD and no copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 29: Without You**

The wind slid through Elena's hair, gently brushing it away from her face with the gentle tenderness of a lover. Her dark sunglasses were once again covering her eyes, shading her from the bright light of the afternoon sun, but she didn't seem as bothered by the light as she had only yesterday. She was adjusting quickly to her new life; Damon just hoped she was adjusting fast enough.

Although he had blown off Caroline's call earlier, he was ruminating on it now. He knew nothing serious had happened yet because Vampire Barbie wasn't freaking out, but that didn't mean it wouldn't soon. He had thought that protecting Elena as a human was hard, but the thought of trying to protect her as a newborn vampire had him terrified. The bottom line was that even if he _could _protect her and they failed to protect Klaus she would be equally as dead, along with pretty much everyone else he loved. He could deal with dying; he had lived far longer than he had ever anticipated, but more than that he had finally found peace with Elena- something he had thought unobtainable for him. He would lay his life down without a second thought to protect her.

But Elena? She hadn't even lived a human lifespan; not even twenty years. She hadn't had a legal drink or seen the Eiffel Tower or sailed the open seas. He was ready to die if need be, but Elena had to go on living; that was the only acceptable option.

Elena turned towards him and even though he couldn't see her eyes from beneath her dark glasses he could tell she was looking at him; it was like her gaze had a physical weight that he could feel on his body. She smiled at him and reached over to place a hand on his thigh, trying to reassure him with her gentle touch.

"You look like something's bothering you. Your eyebrows are doing that scrunchy thing they do when you're thinking about something that upsets you."

Damon flashed Elena a smile filled with sparkling white teeth. "I was just thinking about ways to torment Vampire Barbie for interrupting our romantic interlude."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "Damon." She said his name in a tone that made it clear that not only did she not believe him, but she was not amused by his flippant remark.

Damon reached down and gathered her hand in his, lifting it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss against the back of her hand before rubbing his cheek gently along the spot that he had kissed, almost nuzzling her hand. Elena frowned; clearly this was serious.

After a moment he lowered their joined hands, resting his hand on his thigh and maintaining purchase on hers, driving easily with one hand on the steering wheel.

"Listen, Elena...this thing that's coming, whatever it is, it's going to be serious. We barely survived Ric going Terminator on our ass and whatever the witches send next...it's going to be worse. Chances are that there's going to be a body count on this one and it's probably going to be on our side. I'm going to do everything I can to protect you, but if something happens...you've got to promise me you'll take care of yourself, okay? If I'm not there, go with Stefan. If something happens to both of us then go with Elijah, but be careful, okay? Keep your guard up. He seems decent enough, but I don't trust his siblings."

"Stop the car." Elena said flatly.

"What?" Damon questioned.

"**Stop the God damned car!**" Elena screamed at him, making Damon flinch. He immediately applied the brakes and steered the car off onto the shoulder of the road, coming to a stop before putting the car in park.

The car had barely stopped moving when Elena jumped out of the passenger side. He was afraid she was going to take off, but instead she started pacing. Damon slid out of the car and then walked around the front of the car towards her.

"Elena," he started.

"Don't!" Elena cut him off abruptly. In a blur of motion she grasped him by the arms and tossed him against the side of the car, catching Damon by surprise. She really _was _adjusting quite well, but he didn't have long to marvel before Elena was encroaching on him once again.

She stormed up to him until she was standing no more than a hair's breadth away. She shoved up her glasses so that she could look him in the eye and then started jabbing one small finger into his chest. "Now you listen here, Damon Salvatore, I don't _ever _want to hear you talk like that again, understand? We are all coming out of this alive and so help me if you don't I'll march down to the underworld and drag your ass back out kicking and screaming if I have to!"

Damon paused for a moment, completely stunned, and then he laughed. _Laughed._ Elena was fuming.

"You think this is funny?" Elena said with a scowl.

Damon smiled and reached out to cup Elena's cheek in his hand. "No, I think that you're perfect, Elena. Just when I think I couldn't possibly love you anymore you do something that wraps me even tighter around your little finger. I'm afraid that I'm perilously close to becoming whipped."

Well that just took the wind right out of her sails. The flush of anger faded from Elena's cheeks and instead was replaced with a gentle blush of embarrassment. "Oh." She replied, obviously at a loss for words.

Damon gently lifted Elena's chin, raising her eyes to meet his, and then with infinite tenderness he pressed his lips to her own. Their mouths melded together and they sank into each other. For a moment they were both able to forget about everything else.

When the kiss finally ended and they separated Elena looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "I want to have Bonnie bind us together."

Damon's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What?"

Elena bit down on her lower lip. "Our lives are all bound to the original that started our bloodline, right? So obviously there's a spell that can do it."

Realization dawned on Damon's face. "Elena, no."

"If I die are you going to go on living?" Elena questioned him.

Damon frowned, knowing this was a trap, but he couldn't lie to Elena. "No, I won't."

Elena nodded; she had expected as much. "Then you can't ask me to go on living without you."

Damon swore as he moved away from Elena, turning his back to her and bringing his hand down on the hood of the Camaro. "Damn it, Elena! You can't ask for this! I've lived a full life; you haven't! You're only eighteen God damn it!"

"And I'd be dead already if it weren't for dumb luck. I've already lived my human life and I want my life as a vampire to end when yours does."

Damon whirled on Elena and grasped her by the shoulders, shaking her as if he could literally shake some sense into her. "You stupid, stupid girl! Even as an immortal you're trying to get yourself killed! Don't you know that I can't bear the thought of you dying?"

Elena's eyes softened as she peered up at him. "Don't you know that I can't bear the thought of living without you?"

Damon growled and released his hold on her, starting to pace back and forth. "You did just fine living without me until a few days ago."

"I haven't been without you since the day we met, Damon, and you know it." Elena rebutted.

Damon ran a hand through his ebony colored hair as he paced, obviously distressed by the line of conversation.

"You can't ask this of me, Elena. It isn't fair." He pleaded with her.

"And it isn't fair for you to ask me to spend eternity without you. We live together and we die together, Damon. It's the way it should be."

Damon moved to her in a blur of motion and gathered her into his arms, pressing his forehead against hers as he cradled her face between his palms. She turned her head into one of his palms and gently kissed his skin before he ducked his head and kissed her once again. He felt like his heart was breaking. She was right, it wasn't fair for him to ask her to go on living if he wasn't willing to do the same, but that didn't make the idea any easier.

When their lips separated once again Damon closed his eyes and pulled her close, holding her to him. "Alright." He relented. "We'll ask Bonnie if there's a spell and we'll sleep on it. If you still feel the same tomorrow and there's a way to do it...we will."

Elena nodded and then smiled tentatively up at Damon. "Thank you."

Damon shook his head softly. "Don't thank me for making you vulnerable in one more way."

Elena leaned her head against his chest. "Then thank you for not making me have to meet the sun alone."

Damon sighed and ran a hand down along the back of her head, caressing the silken strands of her dark brown hair lovingly in a petting motion. "You're welcome." He replied, though he didn't really feel that she should be grateful. Why had he agreed to this?

Because he knew Elena was stubborn if nothing else and if he died she would meet the sun as she promised. He didn't know when he had become such an important piece of her heart, but this one time he almost wished that he wasn't. Loving him really would be the death of her. But could he ever really regret her loving him?

No, damn it, and that made him a selfish bastard.

So now all he had to do was keep her alive and not die doing it. No problem, right?

Damn it all to hell.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then moved away from the car, opening up the passenger side door. "Come on, we're late already. We need to get going."

Elena nodded her head and then slipped into the car, buckling her seatbelt as he shut the door behind her.

Damon had just opened up his car door and was about to get in when his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and swiped his thumb across the screen to accept the call before placing the phone to his ear. "Hello? What? Yeah, okay, we'll be there. Give us an hour; we're still about thirty minutes out and Elena needs a change of clothes. Yeah, okay, see you then."

Damon hung up the phone and slid the phone back into his pocket before sliding behind the steering wheel once again. He buckled himself in and then slid the car into drive before pulling back onto the road.

"What's going on?" Elena asked him, her brown eyes peering up at him from beneath her thick lashes.

"Bonnie and Caroline think they've figured out who's hunting us." Damon explained.

"And?" Elena prompted, her eyebrows lifting inquisitively.

"And they wouldn't tell me anything about it. They're meeting with the originals to make sure that they're correct since apparently they can't actually read the text. If they're right we're going to meet up with them in an hour to talk about a plan of action."

Elena frowned and nodded. "Well...at least if we know what's coming after us we can be prepared, right? This is good." She forced a smile.

Damon nodded. "Yeah, it's good." He agreed even though he didn't feel any enthusiasm at the prospect.

Elena reached out and took his hand in hers, gently squeezing. "Hey...we'll be together no matter what, okay?"

Damon sighed and squeezed her hand in return. "That's what worries me."

Elena fell silent, not knowing what else to say. No more words passed between them as they drove the rest of the way back home to Mystic Falls.

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**Author's Note: **Some more Delena and a little angst in this chapter. What do you think? Review and let me know! :D


	30. The Plan

**Author's Note: **I know I didn't update the past couple days. Sorry guys! . Life, it happened. I'm sure you guys can forgive me. :) Shout out for this chapter goes to my unregistered multi-reviewer, Mona, and to my other unregistered reviewer, Lillie. As always, thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. :D

I still don't own TVD and no copyright infringement is intended. Now let's get on with Chapter 30. :D

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**Chapter 30: The Plan**

Damon pulled the Camaro in front of the Mikaelson mansion and put it into park before eyeing the building skeptically. Elena chewed on her lower lip, looking equally uncertain.

"We're having the meeting here?" Elena questioned. "Why don't we meet up with them at the boarding house?"

A soft sigh escaped Damon's lips. "Believe me, I'm not any happier about it than you are, but Sabrina and Vampire Barbie came over here to get the grimoire translated and they didn't want to piss the originals off by making _everyone _relocate. It made more sense to meet up here. Besides, they need us as much as we need them."

Elena gave Damon a skeptical look.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Alright, maybe not as much as we need them, but it's _them _the witches are gunning for, so they need as much help as they can get and right now that's us."

Elena nodded. "Elijah will keep them in line, I'm sure."

A sardonic smirk curled Damon's lips upwards. "Yeah, let's go with that, ignoring the obvious flaws in the logic."

Elena shot him a glare. "You're not exactly helping my nerves here."

Damon held up his hands defensively. "Sorry, just saying."

Elena gave him another withering look before exiting the car. Damon chuckled and followed suit, escorting Elena to the door. She raised her hand to knock just as Damon pushed open the door, earning him an astounded look from Elena.

"What happened to the gentlemanly Damon? You don't just open other peoples' doors."

Damon snorted and rolled his eyes. "Please, the originals _so _don't count as people. Besides, we're expected."

"Indeed you are." Came Elijah's voice from the living room.

Damon gestured towards the sound of Elijah's voice as if to say: _see? _Elena just rolled her eyes at him and walked past him into the house, following the sound of Elijah's voice until she reached the living room.

When she arrived there she found Rebekah pouring over a very old looking grimoire as she paced the room. Stefan was hovering nearby, looking distinctly uncomfortable. Elijah had another text in his hand, equally as aged as the grimoire that Rebekah held, and was busily reading as he sat in an antique chair. Despite the situation Elijah looked as relaxed and composed as ever. Kol was doing his best impression of being bored as he sprawled himself across one of the couches, but Elena could see the faintest hint of worry around his eyes. Bonnie and Caroline were huddled together on another couch, both looking nearly as anxious as Stefan.

Elena moved to join Bonnie and Caroline, sitting down on the couch and reaching over to take one of Bonnie's hands while Caroline clutched the other. The two girls turned to give her small, anxious smiles which Elena returned. "Hey guys."

"Hey Elena." Caroline echoed.

"Elena." Bonnie greeted her, pulling her hand from Caroline's momentarily as she reached to hug Elena.

When the two girls broke apart Bonnie's eyes strayed to Damon. "Damon." She greeted with a nod.

Damon lifted one eyebrow curiously. "Sabrina is actually saying hello and my little brother is getting laid; the world really is coming to an end."

"Damon," Stefan cautioned soberly.

Elena smiled at Damon and then flicked her gaze to Stefan. "Let it go, Stefan. He's just trying to lighten the mood and from the looks of things the mood could use lightening."

"I agree with the pretty brunette. It's like a wake in here. If we're going to die I'd rather do it with a woman on my arm and a glass in my hand. What do you say, darling? Care to go for a drink?" Kol flashed Elena a lascivious smile.

"Care for me to stake you again?" Damon replied, flashing a row of pearly-white teeth in a predatory grin.

"Kol, if Damon stakes you I'm not going to do a thing to stop it. I suggest that you leave Elena alone." Elijah intoned, glancing up from the manuscript he was reading to give Kol a pointed look. "And I will remind you that she is under my protection."

"And Damon is under mine." Rebekah said as she flashed Damon a smile.

Kol put a hand to his chest. "My own flesh and blood have turned against me."

"You would think he would be used to it by now," Bonnie grumbled.

A giggle escaped Caroline before she could stifle it and Kol shot the two girls a look dripping in vitriol.

"They're right, you know. Face it Kol, you're a pain in everybody's ass, _especially _your own flesh and blood." Rebekah added.

Kol gave Rebekah a petulant look. "You just don't appreciate my wit and humor."

"Do everyone a favor and shut it, Kol." Tyler snapped as he entered the room, walking in with less preamble than even Damon and Elena. He swept over to Caroline and leaned down to kiss her on her cheek, making Caroline stiffen just a bit before she forced herself to relax. "I got here as soon as I could. Did I miss anything?"

Kol's eyebrows shot up at Tyler's impertinence. "You're awfully cocky for someone who's not even a fraction of my age; just because you're Klaus' beloved hybrid doesn't mean you have a chance in hell of taking me."

"And you're awfully mouthy for someone who spent the better part of the last millennium locked in a box. If you'd like to have a go and see who ends up on top I'm more than ready."

"_Tyler_," Caroline growled at him from between clenched teeth as she reached up to grab his hand and squeeze it pointedly.

"Kol," Elijah reprimanded simultaneously, "That's quite enough. Nobody will be having a _go _at anybody." Elijah gave Tyler a pointed look. "Am I understood?"

Kol gave an exasperated sigh. "You spoil all my fun, Elijah. I wasn't going to kill him; just hurt him a little bit."

Tyler looked down at Caroline and squeezed her hand gently before looking to Elijah. "Understood." He replied.

Damon watched the little interaction curiously, puzzling over the events in his head. He didn't have long to puzzle as the rest of their ragtag band arrived: the young Jeremy Gilbert and the boy-next-door Matt.

"Hey Jer, Matt." Elena greeted with a smile.

"Hey sis." Jeremy greeted Elena, returning her smile. He headed over to where Damon stood and gave him a pointed look. "You been taking care of my sister?"

Damon rolled his eyes at Jeremy. "What do you think, Gilbert?"

"I think that's a ridiculous question." Rose intoned, "But I suppose as Elena's brother such ridiculous questions are required."

Alaric smirked. "The real question is: have Damon and Elena been taking care of Jeremy?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "I'm seventeen years old; I don't need anyone to take care of me."

"You're barely seventeen and you definitely do need someone to take care of you, Jeremy." Elena replied. "So I agree completely with whatever Rose is saying."

Jeremy sighed. "It's not Rose, it's Ric."

Elena's eyes widened in surprise. "Ric is here?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah, ever since you...you know..."

"Died." Damon supplied. "And came back as a vampire. Your sister is right though; you still need someone to look out for you."

"I think he would have been a good father." Rose mused aloud.

"Well he's the closest thing Jeremy has to one now, so I guess he's going to get his chance." Alaric chimed in.

Rose gave a short bark of laughter. "Poor Damon; I'm not sure which is a more hilarious image: Damon trying to change diapers or Damon trying to give fatherly advice to a seventeen year old."

"Diapers, definitely diapers." Alaric responded.

Jeremy sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples. "Guys, can we please discuss parental supervision at another time? Don't we have something else we need to be talking about?"

"We're still waiting on someone." Stefan replied.

"We are?" Elena asked, looking perplexed.

"We are?" Matt echoed as he moved to kiss the top of Bonnie's head and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Hey Bonnie." He greeted sheepishly.

"Hey Matt." Bonnie said as she smiled up at him.

Elena blinked in confusion. "Wait...are you two?"

Bonnie gave Elena a nervous smile. "Kinda."

Matt ran a hand through his hair nervously. "It just happened, Elena. We were going to tell you, I swear."

Elena flicked her gaze towards Caroline. "You knew about this?"

Caroline held up her hands defensively. "I just found out myself."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Any other startling revelations you guys want to share while we're waiting for...whoever it is we're waiting for?"

"I'm sleeping with your ex-boyfriend." Rebekah chimed in.

"Rebekah," Stefan chastised her with a frown.

"Well I am, aren't I? Besides, you're her _ex _for a reason; she's sleeping with your brother, remember?" Rebekah replied nonplussed.

Elena's cheeks flamed with color. "Okay, can we maybe not discuss my sex life?"

"That disappointing, hmm Elena?" Tyler asked with a bemused grin.

Damon snorted derisively. "Hardly."

"More convincing when it comes from the girl, mate." Tyler replied as Caroline squeezed down viciously on his hand, making him curse. "Ow! What the hell, Caroline?"

"You should _watch what you say._" Caroline said, giving him a pointed look.

"Point taken." Tyler replied in a sober tone.

Damon and Elijah both eyed the pair as Elena cut in. "Alright! Damon is _amazing _in bed, and yes, before you two jump all over me, I did sleep with him." Elena turned her eyes to Caroline and Bonnie momentarily before looking back to the room. "Can we move on now?"

"I can vouch for Damon's sexual prowess." Katherine purred as she strolled onto the scene, crossing straight over to Damon and curling her hands into his shirt. "I can even give a demonstration. What do you say, Damon, care to put on a show?" A flirty and mischievous smile curled across Katherine's lips.

Elena was off of the couch and halfway across the room when Caroline intercepted her and held her back. As it turned out it wasn't necessary, because Rebekah was more than happy to intercede on her behalf. Before anyone could even blink there was a thud as the grimoire Rebekah had been holding fell to the floor and Katherine was pinned against the wall with Rebekah's hand curled around her throat.

"You know, Katerina, this routine of yours is getting old, _fast_." Rebekah growled as she glared into Katherine's eyes.

A heartbeat passed before Rebekah was unceremoniously tossed back into the chair that Elijah had previously been occupying, nearly toppling it over with the force of her impact.

"That's _enough, _Rebekah. You will not put another hand on Katerina, understood?" Elijah gave Rebekah a severe look.

"Just as well...I might catch something." Rebekah's lip curled in disgust.

"Something that you don't already have, you mean? You're not exactly a vestal virgin yourself, now are you Rebekah? First Stefan, then Damon, then Stefan once again, and wasn't dear sweet Matt in there somewhere?" Katherine chirped in a saccharine tone.

Elijah whirled on her, bringing his hands up to slam into the wall on either side of her head, the sound reverberating through the room. "I said that is **enough**, Katerina!"

Katherine's eyes widened as Elijah's eyes stared down into hers. A tremble of fear ran through her at the barely leashed violence she saw there.

"Sorry, Elijah." Katherine whispered as if she was afraid that speaking too loudly might set him off.

"Sorry." Rebekah muttered from across the room; even if the outburst hadn't been directed at her.

"Well," Damon interjected, "Maybe we should get started before we do the witches' work for them?"

"Of course." Elijah replied as he pulled away from Katherine, his mask of civility and propriety falling back into place. He straightened his tie and smoothed down his jacket before addressing the room.

"It seems that Bonnie and Caroline have indeed found the most likely candidate for who the witches will be sending after us, or more appropriately _candidates_. Apparently Ayanna was not as fond of our mother's plan to protect her children as she led mother to believe; when Klaus killed mother not only did Ayanna preserve mother's body, but she began preparing an army to fight against us: a coven of witches trained specifically to hunt vampires. Originally she asked the coven not to kill us out of respect for our mother and fear that we might destroy those who stood against us, but when Ayanna died the coven broke with Ayanna's descendants and became their own entity, beholden to no one but themselves. Our records of the coven end there, but we searched through the grimoires of Ayanna's descendants that Bonnie has collected and found some references to their continued existence as recently as the early nineteen-hundreds. It seems safe to assume that they are alive and have been honing their techniques for over a millennium. I would imagine that they are quite lethal."

"Great, so they can melt our brains _and _stake us with their indestructible original-killing stake. Any other good news?" Damon quipped sarcastically.

"I think what Damon is trying to ask is: how do we go about fighting such a powerful coven?" Stefan interjected.

"With our own witches." Matt volunteered.

Bonnie looked up at him like he was crazy. "Our own witches? All we have is me."

"That's not necessarily true." Katherine replied. "There's Lucy."

"That's a bloodline, at least." Rebekah added. "A weak bloodline, but a bloodline."

"I may know someone who can help." Rose said to Jeremy. "It's a long shot, but at this juncture it's better than nothing."

"Rose says she may know someone else who can help." Jeremy said for everyone else's benefit.

"So...three witches...maybe." Caroline ventured hopefully.

"Against how many?" Bonnie asked more skeptically.

"We have no way of knowing." Elijah replied.

"And even if we knew, it's a safe bet that the dead witches will be backing them instead of us, which puts them at an advantage." Rebekah added.

"So basically we're screwed." Damon added with a cheerful smile.

"Pretty much." Kol agreed.

"What about other vampires?" Elena ventured. "This is really _everyone's _fight, not just ours. Surely some of them would help."

"Like _who?_ It's not exactly like there's a vampire White Pages." Damon reminded her.

"My mother." Bonnie suggested.

"One newly turned vampire isn't exactly going to be a game changer, Sabrina." Damon replied.

"But some first and second generation vampires might." Kol suggested. "I think I could track down one or two of my progeny before the witches invade. What do you think Elijah, Rebekah?"

"Possibly." Rebekah replied.

Elijah's lips pursed into a frown, but he nodded. "Perhaps."

"What about Klaus?" Matt asked.

"I'm sure I can get him a message." Bonnie answered.

"Stefan? Damon? Katherine?" Elijah questioned them.

"Don't look at me; you guys have done an excellent job at killing all of my friends." Katherine replied with a glare.

"I'm sure you have more, Katherine." Damon replied. "If there was one thing you were good at it was making friends; keeping them, less so."

Katherine shot him a pained look. "You wound me, Damon."

Damon shrugged his shoulders. "Just telling the truth."

"I never sired anyone." Stefan confessed. "I've never had enough control."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Well, most of my children are already here." He said gesturing to Elena and Caroline. "Or dead, but I do have some old friends I could call."

"Good. We'll need every body we can get." Elijah said.

"And make no mistake, there will be bodies." Katherine said as she pushed away from the wall, earning her a glare from most of the parties gathered. "What? You know it's true."

"She's right." Rebekah interjected. "As much as it pains me to say it, she's right. People are going to die."

"Well...not _people_." Bonnie corrected.

"Yes, people." Matt defended. "Witches, vampires, humans, it doesn't matter; they're all people, and if you think I'm sitting out of this fight you're crazy."

Damon cut in. "Matt might be onto something. The witches won't hesitate to kill us, but they might think twice about killing humans."

"And if they don't they'll be defenseless." Bonnie protested.

"Not defenseless." Jeremy interjected. "We know how to fight."

"Jer, no. You're not going to fight." Elena said with a frown.

"Yes I am, Elena. You can't stop me. I'm not just going to let you guys go off to die while I sit safely at home." Jeremy crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"I can compel you." Elena threatened.

"No." Damon stepped in on Jeremy's behalf. "He's right, Elena. You can't ask him to sit this one out; there's too much on the line and he has as much at stake here as anyone else. He _doesn't _know how to fight though; and neither do you."

Elena gave Damon a petulant look as Jeremy grinned triumphantly.

"You can kill the shit-eating-grin, Jeremy; he said you don't know how to fight either." Caroline reprimanded him.

"And the same goes for you, Caroline." Damon added.

Caroline looked flabbergasted. "I do too!"

This time it was Stefan's turn to step in. "You've had more training than Jeremy or Elena, but you could still use practice."

"We all could." Kol agreed, much to everyone's surprise.

"Speak for yourself." Katherine replied petulantly.

"I'm sorry, I missed the part where anyone asked your opinion." Kol snapped back bitingly.

"Kol is right, Katerina, and if you hope to survive this you should listen to him. We will all need to hone our skills, whether they are physical or mystical." He said as he inclined his head towards Bonnie in recognition. "But first we must gather our forces. Not all of our progeny will be easy to locate or contact. I imagine some will have to be collected by hand."

"We can help with locating them." Rose said as she looked towards Ric. "Can't we Ric?"

Ric scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Maybe. I'm not as good at this ghost thing as you are."

"Ric and Rose are willing to try and help with locating people, but you'll have to collect them yourselves." Jeremy translated.

"We would be greatly obliged." Elijah said with a polite inclination of his head.

"Great...so what's the plan?" Matt asked as he looked around the room.

"Gather the troops." Tyler offered.

"Train the troops." Kol added.

"Fight the witches." Rebekah chimed in.

"Try not to die." Katherine finished.

"Training will commence in forty-eight hours. You have that much time to find what allies you can and to rest yourselves; I suggest you make good use of it as we don't know when the witches will attack.

"Oh, I have a pretty good guess." Caroline spoke up.

Every set of eyes in the room turned towards her.

"Prom." Caroline stated succinctly.

"And how did you come to this conclusion?" Elijah inquired.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, when have we _not _had a social function fraught with disaster?"

Katherine chuckled. "Blondie has a point. The witches will want to catch you off guard; what better time than when you're drunk and having a good time?"

"Judgy witches really know how to ruin a party." Damon said with a sigh.

"Well then we'll be ready for them." Elena said with a smile. "Right?"

"Right." Caroline agreed with a bob of her head.

"Just in case, I don't want any vampire alone; especially not any original." Elijah interjected. "If they see opportunity they may strike."

"I'll stay with Rebekah." Stefan volunteered.

"I'll watch after Caroline." Tyler added next.

"Damon and I will watch each others' backs." Elena said as she gave Damon a smile.

"And I'll watch yours." Katherine said to Elijah, surprising everyone.

"That leaves..." Elena began.

"Kol, who will be staying here and holding down the fort with your little witch and your human friends. I'm sure that one of my siblings can hunt down my children for me, right Rebekah, Elijah?" Kol chimed in with a smile.

Rebekah rolled her eyes at Kol. "I'll look for them."

"Excellent, then it's all settled." Kol said with a smile. "Now run along. Places to go; people to see." Kol finished with a shooing motion.

"I'll put up a protective spell around the house. It won't keep the coven out, but it should give us a head's up." Bonnie volunteered.

"Can you do it around all of the houses, Bonnie?" Jeremy ventured hopefully.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem." Bonnie agreed.

"Guess it's off to the Mystery Machine then." Damon chimed in with a smirk.

"_After_ we talk to Bonnie." Elena replied sternly.

Bonnie raised a brow curiously, but Elena just shook her head, indicating that they would speak later.

"Right, we're off then." Tyler said as he held out a hand to Caroline.

Caroline paused for a moment, but slowly accepted his hand and stood. "See you in two days, guys." She smiled and waved at everyone before letting Tyler lead her out of the house.

"We should get going." Stefan spoke up as he put a hand on the small of Rebekah's back. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Damon, give me a call every now and then to let me know you two are okay."

Damon nodded to Stefan. "You do the same, little brother."

"Elijah, are you coming?" Katherine asked, already half out the door.

Elijah glanced towards Katherine and gave a brief nod before moving to take Elena's hand and kissing it cordially. "A pleasure as always, Elena. You take good care of each other, alright?"

Elena smiled at Elijah and nodded her head in reply.

"I'll stay here with Kol and work on finding what vampires I can with Ric and Rose. Call me if you need help, alright?" Jeremy said to Elena and Damon.

"Of course, Jer. Take care of yourself; okay. Call me if you need anything." Elena said with a smile.

"You don't have a phone, sis." Jeremy reminded her.

"Yes she does." Damon said, producing one from his pocket and handing it off to Elena.

Elena looked quizzically at Damon. He shrugged. "I got it while you were changing."

Elena rolled her eyes and hugged Jeremy. "I'll call you later so you have the number. Don't stay with Kol by yourself, okay?"

"Sitting right here!" Kol called out in irritation.

"I won't." Jeremy promised with a smile as he returned Elena's hug.

"Bonnie, can we talk outside?" Elena requested politely.

Bonnie spared a glance to Matt, who nodded. "Sure thing, Elena. Matt will stay with Jeremy and Kol."

"Still sitting _right_ here." Kol said with an exasperated sigh.

Not bothering to respond to Kol, Damon, Elena and Bonnie stepped out on the front porch. The other couples had already departed, so they found themselves alone.

"What's going on, Elena?" Bonnie asked Elena curiously.

"To make a long story short? Damon and I want you to bind our lives together."

Bonnie blinked. "What?"

"All of our lives are tied to the vampire that started our line, right? We die when they die. We want you to do the same thing with us; we want to die together." Elena answered.

Bonnie frowned. "Elena, I don't know if it's possible and even if it is...are you sure about this?"

Elena nodded. "I'm sure."

Bonnie looked up at Damon. "Damon?"

"I don't like the idea of her dying, but I won't live without her." He replied, not really answering but making it clear enough where he stood.

Bonnie's frown deepened. "For the record, I don't like this idea."

"I know, Bonnie, and I'm sorry to ask, but I can't imagine living forever without Damon and I would never want to kill myself, even if I'm technically already dead." Elena looked at Bonnie imploringly, willing her to understand.

"You're only eighteen, Elena. Are you really ready to die?" Bonnie's eyebrows knitted together in displeasure.

"No, but I'm not ready to spend eternity alone either." Elena answered earnestly.

"What about Jeremy?" Bonnie reminded her.

Elena frowned as if considering this for the first time. "I wouldn't like it, but Stefan would look after him."

"Stefan's not his sister, Elena." Bonnie replied.

"No, he's not, but he would look after him. I'm not _planning _on dying, Bonnie, but as much as I love Jeremy I can't live forever just to look out for him."

"But you'll die to be with Damon?" Bonnie tried to make it a question, but it came out more as a statement.

"Yes." Elena replied succinctly.

"You might change your mind and then it will be too late, Elena." Bonnie cautioned her.

"I won't change my mind, Bonnie. I know it's hard for you to accept, but please try to understand." Elena pleaded with her.

Bonnie sighed. "I don't agree with any decision that ends up with you dead, Elena." She paused, pursing her lips. "But I promised myself that I was done judging and while I may not understand it, it's pretty clear that you two love each other. If you don't want to be separated...well it's not really my choice. I can't promise anything, but I'll look into it."

Elena tossed her arms around Bonnie in a hug. "Thank you, Bonnie."

"You're welcome, Elena." Bonnie said as she returned the hug.

"We should go." Damon interjected, his tone flat.

Elena nodded her head in agreement and released her hold on Bonnie. "Thank you, Bonnie." She said before turning to head to the car.

Damon turned to follow, but before he could Bonnie caught him by the arm.

"You really want this?" Bonnie questioned in a hushed tone.

"Do I want her to die if I die? No. Do I want to die if she does? Yes. With or without your help I will."

Bonnie nodded her head in understanding.

"I would die for her, Bonnie." Damon volunteered in explanation.

"And if I bind you together you can't." Bonnie surmised.

"No, I can't, because dying to protect her would still kill her." Damon replied.

"I'll look into it." Bonnie promised him.

Damon nodded. "Take care, Bonnie."

"You too, Damon." Bonnie said as she turned to head back inside.

Damon caught up to Elena just as Bonnie slipped back inside.

"What was that about?" Elena asked curiously.

"Bonnie was just reminding me of what's at stake if we go through with this binding ritual." Damon said as he opened the passenger door for Elena.

"Why?" Elena asked curiously.

"I guess she wants me to be careful." Damon replied, reaching out to gently stroke his thumb along Elena's cheek. "She doesn't want to lose you either."

Elena gave Damon a small smile and nodded. In the back of her mind something nagged at her, but she let him put her fears at rest with the press of his lips against hers. After all too brief a moment he pulled away and gently pushed her towards the car.

Elena slid into the passenger seat and buckled herself in as Damon slid behind the wheel once more. He hated deceiving Elena, but if it kept her alive and well, he would live with the guilt. He just hoped that Bonnie had understood what he was trying to say and didn't mind keeping a secret as well.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And that's it for Chapter 30. Hope you all enjoyed it! ^^ Review and let me know. :D


	31. Escaping the Truth

**Author's Note:** Chapter 31! Back to regular updates, huzzah! :) The shout-out for this chapter goes to lapointe15, who joined my multi-review club. Thanks as always to everyone who reads and reviews! You're all greatly appreciated. :D

I still don't own TVD. :( No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 31: Escaping the Truth**

Katherine wondered for the hundredth time why she was here, helping on this insane mission that was most likely going to get her killed.

Oh right, the Salvatore Brothers.

_And how well has that worked out, Katherine? Damon's in love with Elena and Stefan is all over that Rebekah tart. Meanwhile you're alone with..._

_Elijah._

Katherine's eyes drifted towards the original in her passenger seat. He had changed over the years, but then hadn't they all? His shoulder-length, wavy locks had been cropped into a more modern masculine cut and the velvet doublets of her time had been exchanged for suits and ties. As always he looked like the consummate professional; the height of fashion and propriety. Katherine had often wondered if it was his version of armor; clothing beyond reproach so that he could never be called into question. With a brother like Klaus she assumed that Elijah must often be called into question; always cleaning up his brother's mess.

"So where _is _Klaus?" Katherine ventured, breaking the silence that had lingered between them since their trip began.

"Niklaus is dead." Elijah replied smoothly.

Katherine snorted. "I know _that's _a lie. That man is like a cockroach; no matter what you do to try to kill him, he survives."

"A trait that you should be grateful for given your reliance on his existence; however I'm not lying. Niklaus' body is dead, burned to ash as I understand it. His soul continues to exist in a host body, though we don't know what body that might be." Elijah rebutted.

Katherine heaved a sigh. "Ah yes, my existence depends on Niklaus' continued survival. Isn't fate an ironic bitch?"

Elijah gave a brief chuckle and nodded. "Quite frequently."

"So you really don't know whose body your brother is in?" Katherine questioned, clearly skeptical.

"I have an idea, but I have no confirmation and frankly I don't want one. We all agreed that it would be safest for Niklaus and his line if we remained unaware of Niklaus' current identity. If we can't find him then it is less likely that the witches will be able to find him." Elijah replied.

"And if the witches find him and kill him because he has no protection?" Katherine pressed.

"Niklaus is over a thousand years old and a hybrid. He is never without protection."

"But he's in somebody else's body now, right? How do you know his powers even work?" Katherine's head tilted to the side quizzically.

"I don't, but I have to trust that my brother can defend himself. If not we don't stand much of a chance." Elijah's mouth set into a thin line; clearly he wasn't happy about the prospect.

"Well that's always what a girl loves to hear." Katherine chirped glibly.

"You have never been one who wanted things sugarcoated, Katerina." Elijah responded.

"Stop calling me that." Katherine snapped at him. "My name is Katherine now."

"Forgive me, it is an old habit. I will endeavor not to make the mistake again." Elijah's voice came out flat and guarded.

Katherine heaved a sigh and turned to look at him. "Look, I'm not trying to be a bitch. I'm sorry; it's been a long week."

"Rejected by Stefan?" Elijah ventured.

Katherine shot Elijah a venomous glare. "I guess your sister told you."

Elijah smirked at the idea and shook his head. "She did not have to. I know you well enough, Kateri-...Katherine. You arrived back in Mystic Falls within hours of Elena's decision to leave Stefan for Damon. Logic dictates that you returned because you believed that with Elena out of the picture Stefan would return to you. The fact that Stefan arrived with my sister at his side rather than you suggests that he rejected you. Am I incorrect?"

Katherine gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "No, you are not _incorrect._"

"Which raises the question as to why you are still here, Katherine. Why have you not left town already?" Elijah questioned.

"I am leaving town. See? You are now leaving Mystic Falls." She pointed to the road sign as they passed.

Elijah gave Katherine a droll look. "You know that's not what I meant, Katherine. Your games will not work with me."

"They worked just fine five hundred years ago." Katherine reminded him.

"You did not know how to play games five hundred years ago. You were open and honest; not this _thing _that my brother has turned you into."

"I'm a _thing _now, am I? You know, Elijah, I recall you being a lot more charming. If you're going to insult me the entire trip I'll just kick you out of my car and leave as you expected me to. I have five days to put as much space as humanly possible between me and Mystic Falls and the progenitor of my line is the one the witches are least likely to find, so it's no skin off of my back." Katherine's face became a cool, detached mask; utterly unreadable.

"I'm not trying to insult you, Katherine, I'm trying to see if anything remains of the woman I once loved." Elijah bit back sharply.

Katherine burst into laughter. "Loved? That's rich. If you loved me so much you should have kept your brother from trying to kill me and turning me into the _thing _I am today."

"God damn it, I tried!" Elijah roared at her, the force of his voice reverberating through the small space of the Porsche. He brought his hand down furiously against the dash, cracking the dashboard and dislodging the glove compartment so that it fell down and smacked him in the knee, making him curse.

Katherine whipped the Porsche over to the side of the road and tossed it into park before turning towards Elijah. "What the hell are you talking about, Elijah?"

"I found a way to save your life; to keep the doppelganger from dying in the ritual, but you ran off before I could even tell you about it and kept running for the next five damned centuries!" Elijah's eyes burned with anger as he shouted at Katherine.

"You let Klaus murder my entire family!" Katherine yelled back at him, her eyes burning with tears.

"You mean the family that took away your child and exiled you to England? You're lucky I didn't murder them myself! Had I known that you cared for them yet I would have tried to convince Klaus to spare them, but I did not." Elijah replied with equal passion.

"They were my family, Elijah!"

"And Klaus is mine!" Elijah shouted at her. "No matter how many times I may wish he was not, he is still _my family, _Katerina; as you would have been, had you not run from me for five centuries."

"What?" Katherine asked, tears clinging to her thick, dark lashes.

"I intended to marry you, you fool! Klaus may not have loved you, but I did!"

"You said you did not believe in love." Katherine defended weakly.

"I said what I needed to in order to survive, just as you did, Katerina. If I had disrupted Klaus' plans he would have daggered me and I wouldn't have been able to find a way to keep you alive. Once the ritual was complete Klaus would have had no reason to object to us being together; I only had to play along until he had what he wanted and then we could have been together, but you ran before it could get that far. Once you had escaped Klaus' clutches and thwarted his plans it was all I could do to keep him from finding you and killing you to get his revenge. Do you truly think that you were able to run from Klaus for five centuries without help? Or that I was so stupid as to believe Trevor when he lead us away from you that night in the woods?"

"Then why did you kill him?" Katherine challenged.

"Had I not Klaus would have suspected that we were working in collusion to hide you and he would have killed Trevor and daggered me, leaving you unprotected and my brother as a loose cannon. It was regrettable, but necessary." Elijah replied succinctly.

"Regrettable but necessary; you really are a cold bastard, aren't you?" Katherine said in a voice laced with distaste.

"Haven't others said the same about you, Katerina? That you are cold, manipulative, psychotic? Is that the truth about you? If so then I suppose we are even. We are the same creature, Katerina, both created by my brother's monstrous quest for power under the misguided belief that fear and obedience are the same as love. If you can't see past what others say about me and understand the difficult choices I've had to make...well then I suppose my Katerina really _is_ gone, Katherine."

Katherine turned forward once more, facing the steering wheel and staring stoically out the windshield. "Perhaps she is." Katherine said in a voice that was barely a whisper.

"Perhaps she is." Elijah replied in spite of Katherine's lack of projection, the hope in his eyes beginning to fade. "I am sorry, Miss Katherine, for having troubled you so. I will not make the same mistake again."

Katherine nodded numbly and put the car into drive once more. She pulled back onto the highway and drove, putting miles between herself and Mystic Falls.

She just wished that she could escape Elijah's words as easily.

* * *

**Author's Note: **That's Chapter 31 for ya! What do you think? Review and let me know. :D


	32. Unfinished Business

**Author's Note: **A big shout-out this chapter goes out to arwen001 for multi-reviewing over at FCL. Also, thanks to katie st. james and michellemabelle on the vampire-diaries . net forums for recommending the fic. :D

Please note that if you're reading at FCL it absolutely **hates **my fiancé's computer and won't let me update while I'm on it, nor will it let me reply to my reviews. D: So updates and replies will probably be late over at FCL.

I still don't own TVD and no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 32: Unfinished Business**

"Jeremy! I'm finished with the protection spell, let's go so we can do your house." Bonnie called to Jeremy as she walked back into the Mikaelson home.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yes, because _we _weren't doing anything important here."

"We're ghosts, Rose; what do you expect? She can't see us so she's not going to think about us." Ric responded.

"She knows we exist! For heaven's sake, she's a witch! If she can't remember that ghosts exist I don't know who can." Rose said in a voice laced with frustration.

"Well I certainly can," Jeremy groused, "And you two are making it difficult to concentrate on the _living _people in the room."

"Well _excuse me _for not having a pulse. I swear, being a ghost is like being a second class citizen." Rose said sulkily.

"Well I'm sure this isn't exactly a picnic for Jeremy either." Ric defended.

"Thank you, Ric." Jeremy said, relieved to have someone on his side for a change.

"You could still be nicer to her though. It really isn't our fault that we're dead and we _are _trying to help you out." Ric added.

Jeremy rolled his eyes and threw up his hands in exasperation. "And here we go again."

"Just saying." Ric said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Thank you, Ric." Rose said, vindicated.

"You know, I have no idea what this kid is talking about half of the time, but it's hilarious watching him. If I didn't know better I'd say he was completely bonkers. Somebody should really record this; it's priceless." Kol chimed in, clearly amused.

Jeremy leveled a glare at Kol. "You know, it's hard to believe that I thought you were my friend a couple of weeks ago."

Kol gave Jeremy a pained look and put his hand over his heart. "Come now, that's not a bit nice. We had some good times, didn't we Jeremy? What did I ever do to you?"

"You lied to me, stayed close to me to use me against my sister, tried to kill her boyfriend..."

"He wasn't her boyfriend at the time." Kol interjected. "If I had been trying to kill him he would have been dead; I just squared things up. And I'll remind you that he staked me and broke my neck."

"_After _you broke a baseball bat over his back." Jeremy countered.

"It was only a love tap." Kol argued.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Right, whatever you say Kol."

"Oh come on, Jeremy. I didn't do any lasting damage, now did I? You can't hold a grudge over one itty-bitty broken baseball bat and a few good kicks, now can you? Come on, the guy's dating your sister; consider it a preemptive strike for the things he will do to piss you off later." Kol flashed Jeremy a boyish grin.

"He already pisses me off." Jeremy replied.

"Well see! What are best friends for if not for beating up their friend's sister's boyfriend?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Give me a call when you figure it out."

Kol gave an exasperated sigh. "I swear; nobody in this town knows how to have any fun."

"Jeremy!" Came Bonnie's voice once again.

"I'm coming!" Jeremy yelled back. "I'll give you a call when Rose or Ric have anything to report, Kol."

Kol gave a brief nod of his head. "Right, talk to you then." He tossed Jeremy a flippant wave and went back to the business of lounging upon the couch as Jeremy headed to the front door.

"What took you so long?" Bonnie questioned when Jeremy finally made his appearance.

"Kol and our friendly neighborhood ghosts yakking my ears off." Jeremy replied.

"Oh." Bonnie stated succinctly before falling silent, obviously at a loss for words.

"So...you and Matt?" Jeremy prompted as they walked towards Bonnie's car.

"Yeah...me and Matt. You're not mad, are you Jer?" Bonnie looked up at him nervously from beneath her lashes.

Jeremy hesitated for a moment and then shook his head. "No. I mean, I'm not real happy about it, but I'll get over it. We had our thing and it's over. Time to move on." Jeremy shrugged his shoulders.

Bonnie gave Jeremy a small smile. "You're really starting to grow up, you know that?"

Jeremy groaned. "Okay, _that _is not something a guy ever wants to hear from his ex-girlfriend. You're making me feel like Elena's kid brother all over again."

Bonnie giggled. "Sorry."

Jeremy grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a brief squeeze before releasing her as they reached the car. Matt was already there, leaning against the passenger side door.

"Thanks for the ride, Bonnie. Walking here was a bitch." Matt said as he flashed Bonnie a smile.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at him. "You know you could have called and asked for a ride. I didn't even think about your truck being totaled."

Matt nodded his head sadly. "Yeah...I don't know what I'm going to do about that...but I don't want to be a burden in the meantime."

Bonnie shook her head at him. "You're not a burden, Matt. We're your friends. If you need a ride all you have to do is ask."

Ric rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. "Oh hell, just give the kid my car. It's not like I'm using it anyway."

"Ric says you can have his car, Matt." Jeremy voiced on Ric's behalf.

Matt blinked in surprise. "I thought my sister burned his car trying to kill Elena?"

Ric nodded. "She did, but I had full coverage insurance. I replaced it."

"Ric says insurance paid to replace it." Jeremy explained for Matt's benefit.

Matt looked kind of stunned for a moment before starting to talk to the air. "Well...thanks man. I appreciate it."

Ric waved him off. "Tell him not to worry about it."

"It's no problem." Jeremy translated. "Now can we get back to my place, please? I'll feel better once I know that everybody's house is witch proof."

Bonnie smirked softly. "Not exactly witch-proofed...just witch-alarmed."

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. "Well whatever, I'll feel better when it's done."

Bonnie nodded and then climbed into the driver's seat of the car. Matt and Jeremy quickly followed suit with Rose and Alaric in tow and soon they were on the road to the Gilbert home.

* * *

An hour later Bonnie was just finishing up with the wards on the Gilbert household. When the spell was completed Bonnie came into the house to find Jeremy so that she could let him know the spell was done and bid him farewell before taking Matt to retrieve Alaric's car.

"Jeremy?" Bonnie called as she stood in the foyer, looking around to try and locate him.

"In the kitchen!" Jeremy called.

Bonnie slipped into the Gilbert kitchen and gave a small smile as she looked around. There were lots of memories here; girly sleepovers with Elena and Caroline or family dinners with the Gilberts when Elena's parents had still been alive. It was hard to imagine that in a matter of weeks she would be graduating and she might not ever see this kitchen again; might not be able to share a simple meal with the people she loved.

"Earth calling Bonnie." Jeremy said as he waved a hand in front of her face. "You totally spaced out there for a moment."

Bonnie gave Jeremy a small smile and shook her head softly. "Sorry...just thinking about how things are going to change."

Jeremy arched an eyebrow curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well if we survive this...graduation is only a month away. We're going to be going off to college and starting our own lives; lives that won't necessarily be here. It's just...weird to think that I might not be back in this kitchen again, you know?"

Jeremy frowned and nodded. "Yeah...I know. Guess I'll be the only one holding down the fort when all of this is over."

Bonnie frowned in return. "Jeremy, we're not going to abandon you. You know that, right?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah, I know. But you guys have your own lives, you can't stick around here just for me."

Bonnie sighed. "Jeremy..."

"Jeremy." Another voice echoed, making Jeremy snap his head upwards and whirl around.

Bonnie blinked in confusion. "What's going on Jeremy?"

Rose slid off of the counter where she had situated herself and approached Jeremy. "Jeremy?" She questioned in concern.

"You don't see her?" Jeremy questioned Rose.

Rose shook her head softly. "No."

"Well...so much for that theory." Jeremy said with a sigh.

"What theory?" Bonnie questioned, completely confused.

"The theory that Rose and Alaric can see each other because I've become a stronger medium. I thought that maybe Anna and Vickie couldn't see each other because I was so weak, but obviously I was wrong." Jeremy explained.

"What do you mean you were wrong?" Bonnie asked in a perplexed tone.

"There's another ghost here and Ric and Rose can't see her."

"What ghost?" Bonnie asked.

Jeremy hesitated for a moment. "It's...your grandmother."

"My grams is here?" Bonnie's eyes flew wide and tears started to shimmer in them.

"In the flesh." Sheila Bennett said with a grin. "Well...so to speak."

Jeremy chuckled a bit at the lame joke. "Yeah, she's here Bonnie."

"Tell my granddaughter that I'm sorry that I can't speak to her in person this time, but that I am still very proud of her and the beautiful young woman she's growing into."

"Your grandma says that she wishes that she could talk to you herself and she wants you to know she's proud of you." Jeremy translated for Sheila.

Bonnie gave a small, choked sob. "I'm trying really hard, Grams."

Sheila smiled and shook her head. "My Bonnie, always crying when I'm around. At this rate I'm starting to think she's not happy to see me."

Jeremy grinned and turned towards Bonnie. "She says to stop crying or she's going to think you don't want her here."

Bonnie laughed and nodded, wiping away her tears. "What's going on, Grams?"

"The witches have been talking on the other side. There's a lot of unrest and a lot of hatred. Most of the witches have banded together to help Esther in her crusade to end the vampire race." Sheila explained.

Jeremy glanced towards Bonnie. "She says that the witches are angry and they're banding together to help Esther destroy the vampires."

Bonnie gave a dry laugh. "We already know that, Grams."

Sheila crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "Now don't you sass me, child! That's not all I have to say."

"She says there's more." Jeremy translated, quieting Bonnie.

Once Bonnie was silent, Sheila began to speak again. "_Most _of the witches are siding with Esther, but not all of them. Some of them can see that the hatred is unnatural and unhealthy and don't want any part of it. Some believe that the vampires are as much a part of the balance as any other living creature and that their existence needs to be protected. Others have friends or family that are vampires and want to protect their loved ones. It's a small group, but there _are _some of us who see through Esther's lies, and while we don't like to meddle in the affairs of vampires, we've been left with little choice. I know better than to ask Bonnie to stay out of this fight, so instead I'm here to offer my help."

When Sheila had spoken her peace, Jeremy explained for Bonnie's benefit. "Your grandmother says that most of the witches are siding with Esther, but some of them aren't. She knows that you're going to fight and she's here to offer her help."

Bonnie's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Oh thank you, Grams! You don't know how much this means to me."

Sheila stepped towards Bonnie and reached out as if to cup her cheek, though she didn't actually touch her. Bonnie looked at her as if she could almost see her. "Tell my granddaughter that I know exactly how much it means to her. I know she loves her friends and I'm proud of what a strong young woman she is. It's not an easy thing to stand against such odds and I'm going to do everything I can to help. When the time comes she can call on our powers and we'll be there to help her, but until then I have information for her: the location of living witches that may help her and grimoires that contain spells that will be of use to her in the battle to come."

"She says that she knows what your friends mean to you and she's proud that you're standing up for them. She and the other witches will lend you their power when the time comes and she has the locations of living witches that might help us and grimoires with useful spells." Jeremy summarized for Bonnie.

"Oh Grams, thank you." Bonnie said with a watery smile.

"You're welcome." Sheila said as she placed a kiss to Bonnie's forehead. Bonnie gasped as if she'd actually been touched.

"She says you're welcome." Jeremy explained.

Bonnie nodded.

"Now, let's get down to business...get a piece of paper and a pen, you'll need to write this down." Sheila instructed Jeremy.

A few minutes later Jeremy finished the list of people to contact and grimoires that might help them. He handed it off to Bonnie. "That should be it."

Bonnie nodded, peering down at the list and then looking back up again. "Will she be staying here like Alaric and Rose?"

Jeremy looked to Sheila, who shook her head. "No honey. This isn't the place for the dead and I need to conserve my strength for the days ahead."

"She says that she can't. She needs to save her strength." Jeremy explained to Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded sadly. "I understand. Take care grams. I love you."

"I love you too, Bonnie." Sheila said with a smile.

"She loves you too." Jeremy said, though it was obvious Bonnie already knew.

"I'm going to go take Matt to get Alaric's car; hopefully it hasn't already been towed. Goodbye Jeremy, goodbye Grams."

"Bye Bonnie." Jeremy called as she turned and exited the Gilbert home.

Jeremy turned back to Sheila once Bonnie was gone. "I guess you're leaving now."

Sheila nodded. "In just a minute. There is one thing I'm curious about though: there are other ghosts here?"

Jeremy nodded. "Alaric and Rose."

The two perked up at the mention of their names.

"And they can see each other?" Sheila questioned.

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah."

"Were they in love?"

Jeremy wrinkled his nose in distaste. "What? No. They didn't even know each other."

Sheila smiled. "I see. Well...tell your ghost friends not to forget about _their _unfinished business while they're helping you, alright?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Take care of yourself, Jeremy Gilbert, and look out for my granddaughter as best as you can."

"I will." Jeremy promised.

Sheila vanished as suddenly as she had appeared.

"What was that about?" Rose questioned.

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"Well what was she asking about us?" Alaric asked.

"She wanted to know if you could see each other." Jeremy explained.

"And?" Rose prompted.

Jeremy paused. "And...she wanted to know if you were in love."

Rose and Alaric both blinked and then looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

"What? That's ridiculous." Rose said flippantly.

"We barely know each other." Ric said with an amused smirk.

"And we drive each other crazy." Rose added.

"Completely up the wall." Ric said, rolling his eyes.

Jeremy tossed up his hands. "Hey, don't look at me! I'm just the messenger. She told me to remind you not to forget about your unfinished business while you were helping me. Now, I'm going to go take a shower and I want a whole _hour _of peace. You guys think you can manage that?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I think we can."

Ric nodded. "Sure, Jer."

Jeremy gave one last nod and then headed upstairs, locking the front door behind Bonnie along the way.

Silence filled the house for a moment as Alaric and Rose both stood there in silence.

"So what do you think she meant?" Alaric finally asked.

"Well..._technically _we're only supposed to be here if we have unfinished business. I was on the other side...it was very nice...but Damon was able to pull me back and I've been staying here to help him and Elena ever since, so maybe Damon is my unfinished business?" Rose proposed.

Alaric nodded. "That makes sense. I'm here to watch after Jeremy and Elena."

Rose paused. "But _does it _make sense? I mean...I love Damon, but he knows that. I don't really have any unfinished business of my own and you would think that if taking care of our loved ones was our unfinished business there would be a lot more ghosts, right? I mean...where's Elena's mum and dad if that's the case?"

Alaric frowned. "You do have a point. But if that's the case, then why are we here?"

Rose tapped a finger against the counter as she contemplated. "Well obviously the witch thinks it has something to do with us being able to see each other."

"And she asked if we were in love." Ric reminded Rose.

Rose frowned and stopped tapping. "You don't think..."

"That we were supposed to meet and fall in love? Of course not, that's ridiculous." Alaric answered.

"Completely ridiculous." Rose agreed.

Alaric nodded and fell silent.

After a minute or two of tense silence Rose pushed herself off of the counter. "Well...I suppose our unfinished business will simply have to wait. We have vampires to hunt down."

Ric nodded in agreement. "Yeah, work to do."

"Excellent then; we're in agreement. This whole unfinished business will just have to remain unfinished a little longer."

"Yep." Ric agreed.

"Well then...take care." Rose said with a nervous grin before disappearing from the room.

Ric sighed. "I've really got to learn how to do that."

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**Author's Note: **That's it for Chapter 32! As always, reviews are appreciated. :D


	33. Airport Conversations

**Author's Note: **Almost 450 reviews! *happy dance* Thank you to everybody who has read and especially thank you to those of you who have reviewed. :D You guys are awesome! The special shout-out for this chapter goes to rjjoupa/Michelle who joined the multi-review club. ^^

Sorry I didn't get this chapter out yesterday, but it's a long one that required a lot of research for authenticity, so it took a little extra time. Hopefully you'll agree that it was worth the wait.

I sadly still don't own TVD (if I did I'd be damn near done with a whole new novel! XP) and no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 33: Airport Conversations**

"Why are we going to South Carolina again?" Elena questioned.

"Because the Piedmont Triad Airport is closer to where we're going than the Norfolk International Airport is. If we had to drive two hours either way I figured it was smarter to drive _closer _to our destination rather than waste time driving sideways." Damon replied.

"And our destination is?" Elena probed.

"South." Damon stated succinctly.

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "Great, so we've established that we're _not _going to the North Pole. Could you be a little more specific?"

"We're staying north of the equator." Damon said, a mirthful smile dancing across his lips.

Elena groaned. "Well _thanks _for that helpful insight, Damon; I was really worried for a moment there that I wasn't up to date on my _malaria _vaccination."

"Pretty sure they haven't actually come up with one of those yet, though I hear they're making promising breakthroughs." Damon said smarmily.

Elena whacked him on the arm, earning a faked wince and a playful _ow_.

"Were you this abusive with Stefan? Or did my bunny-loving brother just never dare to cross you?" Damon teased.

"_Stefan _was smart enough to let me have my way." Elena replied as she pushed her glasses down and looked at Damon over the top of them.

Damon grinned unrepentantly. "I figured. My brother is so whipped."

Elena rolled her eyes at Damon and pushed her glasses back into place. "You could learn a thing or two from him."

Damon lofted his eyebrows curiously. "Oh? Like what?"

"Like how you shouldn't argue with a lady." Elena said as she lifted her chin and crossed her arms beneath her breasts, feigning indignation.

"Well when I meet a lady I'll make sure not to argue with her." Damon teased to rile her.

As expected Elena gave an outraged huff and whacked him on the arm again, making Damon laugh.

"I think I _almost _felt that one." Damon said with a grin.

Elena scowled at him. "Have I told you lately how infuriating you are?"

Damon gave Elena a cocky smirk and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Nope, but you've told me how sexy I am."

"I have not!" Elena protested.

"So you're saying I'm _not _sexy?" Damon questioned.

Elena gave a sulky pout, knowing that he'd entrapped her. "No."

"So I _am _sexy?" He prodded.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Yes, Damon, you're incredibly sexy."

Damon grinned and leaned over to place a kiss to her cheek. "See? I was right."

Elena motioned to Damon with a finger. "This, right here? Prime example of how infuriating you are."

"But you love me anyway." Damon said with a wink as he pulled the Camaro up to the valet in front of the airport and put it into park. He shut off the engine and headed around to grab Elena's door before holding out the keys to the valet.

"Can I get your bags for you, sir?" The young man requested politely.

Damon shook his head. "No bags; we're travelling light. Just take care of the car." Damon held out a twenty to the valet. "In case you're not here when I return."

The valet looked at Damon a little oddly when he said that he didn't have any bags, but when he saw the twenty dollar tip he completely forgot about it. He gave a brief nod and held out the claim ticket to Damon. "Of course. Thank you sir. Have a nice trip."

Damon tucked the claim ticket into his wallet before placing a hand on the small of Elena's back and escorting her into the airport.

"Why _didn't _webring bags?" Elena questioned.

"It's easier to just get what we need once we get there than to deal with checking luggage and hauling it around. Besides, if I'd let you pack you would have asked me _what _to pack and that would have ruined the surprise. I know how your devious little mind works."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "This isn't exactly a pleasure trip, Damon."

Damon arched an eyebrow curiously. "Who says it's not?"

Elena tapped a finger against her lip as if in thought. "Oh, let's see, hmm...oh yes! That's right! The angry vampire-hunting witches that want to kill us all."

Damon grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "So? We can mix business and pleasure. Besides, if this really is the big, bad, final battle do you really want to spend your last week with your nose to the grindstone or do you want to have as much fun as you possibly can?"

Elena paused and peered at him skeptically. Damon could practically see the wheels in her head turning.

Damon grinned and did that thing with his eyebrows, knowing how much she loved it. "Come on, five minute time out." He coaxed her.

Elena grinned and rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she relented. "Fine, but my five minute time out is going to need a beer."

Damon laughed. "I think I can manage that."

"So are you ever going to tell me where we're going?" Elena asked.

"I think that will be pretty irrelevant once we get our boarding passes, don't you?"

Elena rolled her eyes at him, but didn't get a chance to respond as he stepped up the ticketing counter.

"Hello there. Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert checking in and picking up our boarding passes."

The clerk smiled at Damon with just a little too much enthusiasm. "Of course, sir. I'll just need your identification."

Elena was practically glaring daggers at the woman behind the counter as she yanked her driver's license out of her purse and handed it over. The perky blonde seemed oblivious while Damon looked positively amused.

After a few keystrokes and clicks on her computer and an obligatory look at their identification the clerk smiled at Damon once again. "The 5:03 flight to Miami connecting in Atlanta?" She questioned politely.

Damon nodded. "That's correct."

The clerk printed up the two boarding passes and put them into separate holders. "Will you be checking any baggage today?" She asked, leaning in towards Damon, making sure that she placed her ample bosom on the counter so that it was open to his inspection.

"Nope." Elena said as she snatched the tickets from the woman's hand.

The clerk looked taken aback by Elena's hostility. Damon actually had the gall to laugh. It took a few seconds, but the woman behind the counter composed herself and cleared her throat. "Well, you'll be leaving from Gate 12 on the North Concourse. Your flight is on time. Have a wonderful trip."

Damon flashed the clerk a grin. This was truly priceless. "Thanks. We will."

He followed a very huffy Elena all the way to the security inspection checkpoint where she was finally forced to stop and wait in line. When she came to a halt Damon wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"That was quite a performance back there. I thought you were about to get us put on the terrorism watch list." Damon said with a chuckle.

Elena narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm glad you found that amusing. She was hanging all over you! And the way she put her tits on the counter…ugh! Could you get any more obvious?"

"Well there's always Katherine…" Damon teased her.

"Don't even get me started on that tramp!" Elena exclaimed loudly, drawing quite a few odd looks.

"Now is that any way to talk about your great-great-great-great-grandmother?" Damon chided playfully.

"Well I don't know; you slept with her, maybe you should tell me how I should speak about her." Elena snapped back. People had gone from giving odd looks to looking away completely and trying to pretend that they weren't listening to the odd conversation.

Damon pulled Elena in close and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "How about in the past-tense, because that's where she belongs: in the past with all of the other women that can't hold a candle to you."

Elena grumbled beneath her breath. "That's a lot of women."

Damon chuckled and nodded. "Yes, a lot of women; and not one of them can even begin to compare to you, Elena."

Elena smacked him on the chest, garnering a pained _ouch _from Damon's lips as he peered down at her.

"What was that for?"

"For not letting me be angry with you. Why can't you just let me be mad at you?"

Damon grinned unapologetically and peered down at her. "I'm sorry, what was it that you wanted to be mad at me about?"

"All the women that are ogling you!" Elena protested.

Damon chuckled. "Oh yes, right; the ogling women. My apologies, I'm far too ogle-able."

Elena nodded her head. "Yes you are."

Damon leaned down and nipped gently at her earlobe before whispering into her ear. "Well so are you."

Before Elena could protest the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted their brief interlude. Elena looked up to see a potbellied, white-haired security guard sitting at a podium, clearly waiting on something, though what escaped Elena at the moment. She blushed nonetheless and quickly separated from Damon.

"Identification and boarding pass, please?" The security guard requested.

Elena smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Of course, sorry." She held out both to the security guard who inspected her identification with a U.V. light and looked over her boarding pass before handing both back. "Keep these out. You'll need them again." He pointed her towards the next security checkpoint where she had to take off her shoes and walk through the metal detector.

Elena walked forward quickly, eager to be away from the security guard. A few seconds later Damon caught her around the waist as she was in the middle of pulling off her sneakers, making her give a small yelp of surprise and hop on one foot.

"Damon!" She cried in protest.

Damon rolled his eyes at her. "Oh for the love of God, Elena, you really think I'm going to let you fall? Or are you just afraid your foot is going to fall off if it touches the floor?" In spite of his words he scooped her up into his arms, carrying her and making her blush even more deeply than she had been already.

"You never know what's on these floors!" She protested.

"Well I'm afraid your feet will have to touch the floor. I can't carry you through the metal detector." He said with a grin as he pulled her one shoe from her hand and delicately removed the other from her foot, tossing both into a bin before depositing Elena gently on her feet once more. "This line is for business travelers, it's faster." He said by way of explanation for their relocation.

Elena gave a brief nod and stuck her purse in with her shoes before shoving the bin into the x-ray machine. Damon followed suit, putting his shoes, wallet and phone into a bin before sliding them through after Elena's. They both passed through the metal detector without incident after presenting their ID's and boarding passes once more and were cleared to proceed to the gate. They gathered their things and put their shoes back on their feet before continuing on their way.

"So…Miami?" Elena finally asked, looking up at Damon curiously.

"Yes, Miami." Damon replied.

"You know a vampire who lives in the _sunshine _state?" Elena questioned.

"She appreciates the irony." Damon said with a smirk.

"She?" Elena immediately latched on to the feminine pronoun.

"Yes, _she_." Damon reiterated.

"So did you...?"

Damon shook his head softly. "No."

Elena arched an eyebrow curiously. "Really?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "What? Stefan is the only one who can have female friends?"

Elena shook her head softly. "No, it's just…surprising."

Damon smirked. "Didn't think I was capable of platonic relationships with women?"

Elena gave him a pointed look. "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

Damon chuckled. "I suppose not."

Elena nodded her head as if to say: _that's what I thought._

"She's married, if that helps." Damon said with a smirk.

Elena gave a soft ah. "That does explain a lot."

Damon winced. "Ouch. You hurt me, Elena. You really don't think I could keep from sleeping with a woman if she wasn't married?"

"Is she pretty?" Elena asked.

Damon eyed her skeptically. "Why do I feel like this is a trap?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to get mad at you for thinking she's pretty, I promise."

Damon smirked. "Just checking; you did almost go berserk when that girl at the counter was _ogling _me."

Elena gave him a dirty look. "Damon…" She warned.

Damon chuckled and held up his hands defensively. "Alright, alright, she's pretty."

"Then no." Elena answered.

Damon smirked at Elena's response. "Oh ye of little faith."

Elena snorted. "Oh ye who knows about your little black book."

Damon flashed Elena a feral grin. "That is _purely _fiction, though if I had one it would be worth a _fortune._"

Elena chortled at the statement. "Now _that _is something we can agree on."

Damon beamed with pride. "Glad to know you have such faith in my skills."

"Your skill at seducing beautiful women? I don't think anybody has ever doubted that, Damon."

Damon chuckled. "I am quite infamous," he admitted as he steered Elena into the airport bar, "But it seems I've been neutered."

Elena arched an eyebrow curiously. "Neutered?"

Damon smirked. "Whipped?"

Elena looked down her nose at him.

"Utterly and completely consumed?" Damon ventured with a grin as he pulled her close to him and brushed a strand of hair back from her face.

"That's better." Elena said as she tilted her head upwards. Damon took the hint and angled his head downwards, pressing his mouth gently against hers.

After a good minute of Damon and Elena kissing the bartender finally cleared his throat. Elena ducked her head and bit down on her lower lip as Damon flashed the bartender an unrepentant grin.

"What can I get for you two?" The bartender asked politely as Damon led Elena over to one of the well worn stools.

"I'll take a bourbon, neat." Damon requested politely once he was seated.

"I'll take a pint of the summer lager." Elena added.

The bartender looked at Elena skeptically. "I'll need to see your ID."

Damon was about to intercede on Elena's behalf, but before he could Elena surprised him by handling it herself. She caught the bartender's eyes and with a pout protested. "But you've already _seen_ my ID. Do I really need to get it out again?"

The bartender blinked and shook his head. "No, that's fine miss. I must have just forgotten. A bourbon and a pint of summer lager coming up."

Damon looked towards Elena with his eyebrows raised in surprise and leaned in to speak to her in a whisper. "Why Ms. Gilbert…did you just use compulsion to break the law? I really am a bad influence."

Elena grinned unrepentantly. "I told you this five minutes was going to need a beer."

Damon burst out laughing and nodded. "So you did."

The bartender brought them their drinks and Damon handed over his card to pay for the total.

"Thanks." Elena said.

Damon grinned. "I should be thanking you. You're fun when you drink, at least from what I remember."

Elena gave a soft hmm. "I guess, but it's not so much the drinking."

Damon cocked his head to the side curiously. "Oh? What is it then?"

Elena smiled at him. "You, of course. I'm comfortable around you. I feel like I can be myself, the _real _me; you know, the one that existed before all the angst and the drama and the daily life threatening attacks."

Damon chuckled. "You mean there was a _before _that?"

Elena grinned and rolled her eyes. "I know, right?"

Damon reached out and stroked a hand through hair, gently brushing it away from her face and drawing her attention to him. "You know…there really is life that's not always filled with trauma and crisis."

Elena nodded softly. "I know."

"When all of this is through we'll go on a trip, just you and me. We'll relax, see the world, make up for all the lost time."

Elena smiled at the idea. "I'd like that."

Damon nodded. "So would I."

The moment was interrupted as the bartender returned with Damon's card and the receipt. Damon shoved the card back in his wallet and wrote in a tip on the receipt before signing it and handing it back to the barkeep, who departed soon after to tend to other customers.

"So," Elena began, "Who is it that we're going to see, exactly?"

"The woman's name is Aureliana Sapienti. These days she goes by Lia or Lee. Her husband is Dante Sapienti."

"You made her?" Elena questioned.

Damon shook his head. "No, Lia is almost seven hundred years old and Dante's even older. They're my friends."

Elena tilted her head to the side curiously. "So how did you meet?"

Damon laughed. "Ironically enough, she was my neighbor."

Elena gave him a curious look. "Excuse me?"

Damon grinned and shook his head. "Drink your beer. I can't explain if you don't give me a chance."

Elena rolled her eyes at him, but listened to his instructions anyway, sipping at her lager as he nursed his bourbon.

"After Stefan and I were turned, I had a lot of dark years. I was furious at Stefan for making me turn and I felt lost without Katherine. For a long time I lost myself in blood and wallowed in self-pity, a lot like my brother does now…" Damon gave Elena a pointed look that earned him a playful push of her fingers on his arm.

"Go on."

Damon rolled his eyes and took a drink of his bourbon before continuing. "Anyway…after a good quarter-century of wallowing I finally decided that it wasn't worth it. I could either kill myself and get it over with, or I could accept what I was and do something with the life I'd been given. Obviously, being the brother with superior intelligence, I decided to do something with my life."

Elena rolled her eyes as he tossed another barb at Stefan, but this time she didn't dignify the comment by saying anything. Instead she let him continue with his story as she sipped at her beer.

"The problem was that when I pulled myself out of my drunken pity-party I had nothing. No family, no home, no money, no marketable trade. I didn't even know how to compel anyone; I'd done it once or twice by accident, but only when I was completely panicked. In short: I was a washout." Damon flung out his fingers to demonstrate and then took another sip of bourbon. "So…I was left with the question of what the hell to do. At the time I thought that I had to help Katherine, but I also knew that I had to help myself first, so I resorted to drastic measures."

"Whoring?" Elena teased him.

"Haha," Damon replied dryly. "Funny, but no. I knew that we had family back in Italy still; nobody that I knew personally, but that was perfect. We had been out of touch for years, so nobody would question if the American-born Salvatore heir came back to Italy to avail himself of the resources of our estate. I planned to travel to Italy and ask for my kin's help to get back on my feet."

Elena raised a brow curiously. "Just like that? You show up on somebody's doorstep and they take you right in? No questions asked?"

Damon gave Elena a pointed look. "Would _you _like to tell the story?"

Elena shook her head softly.

"Then shush and let me tell it."

Elena made a zipping motion across her lips.

"Thank you…now…where was I?"

"Availing yourself of the estate…" Elena prompted.

Damon rolled his eyes at her inability to remain quiet, but picked up where he had left off. "Right…so…one small problem…Italy was actually quite far away, especially for someone without any finances. I couldn't buy my passage, so I had to work for it."

"That's how you learned how to sail!" Elena exclaimed. She caught her mistake before Damon could say anything about it and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she muttered as she lifted her hand and moved to pick up her lager. "Please continue."

"Like you said…that's how I learned to sail. I didn't know how to sail at the time so I couldn't get very much work, but after I hung around the harbor for a couple of weeks I managed to get some day trips on fishing vessels. At first it was just filling in for men who were sick, but after a while I got a reputation and got steady work. It didn't pay much, but it kept me housed and clothed until a trading vessel from Italy came in later that year and I was able to barter for the passage I wanted." Damon paused, taking a sip of bourbon to wet his mouth before continuing.

"It wasn't ideal; Norfolk wasn't a large harbor at the time and I could only get on a masted ship, not one of the steamships. That turned a two-week voyage into a three-month voyage, which was difficult given my need for blood, but I managed. There were pretty women on the ship who were willing to ignore my proclivities if it meant bedding me and I was more than happy to bed them at the time. In the long run it made me a lot stronger, because I _couldn't_ screw up at sea; it made me more careful and forced me to control myself. By the time I arrived in Florence I was well-liked and respected, if not rich. I had a reputation as a hard worker and my Captain was more than happy to vouch for my identity and my honesty. He wrote a letter to my family explaining how my brother had squandered away our family fortune and left me destitute and how I had worked tirelessly to return to our family home and restore the honor of our name."

Elena gave Damon a skeptical look. "Wait…your captain wrote a letter saying that Stefan had squandered the family fortune and that you were returning to Italy to restore the honor of your family?"

Damon grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I had to explain my circumstances somehow…besides, nobody knew it was Stefan and I _was _quite angry with him at the time."

Elena rolled her eyes and waved Damon off. "Alright, so you got to Italy."

Damon nodded. "I got to Italy and the letter from the Captain _did _earn me the trust of the Italian Salvatore family; unfortunately our estate wasn't quite what I had hoped. The revolution had changed everything and while we still had an enviable family home, the money was all gone. The family took me in, fed me, clothed me, but ultimately I was the one that ended up having to help them."

"And Lia?" Elena questioned.

Damon smirked. "I'm getting there. The estate was dwindling, so I had to go to work. It wasn't too hard since I had experience sailing by then and Florence revolves around its waterways. I took odd jobs here and there, unloading cargo down at the docks or working on trading ships for a day or a week. At the end of the day though, my pittance wasn't going to rebuild the estate. It kept us fed and clothed and afforded a few luxuries, but it was nothing when compared to the wealth that we once had. I knew that if I was going to have any chance of accomplishing what I wanted I was going to need help; that's how I found Lia."

Elena raised her eyebrows at Damon as if to say: _and?_

Damon laughed at the gesture and shook his head, taking that as his cue to continue. "Lia and Dante lived next door to us. Like us they came from ancestral wealth, but unlike us they had managed to hold onto that wealth throughout the revolution. I thought that if anyone could give me advice on how to make and keep money it would be them. I knew that Dante wouldn't have any reason to share advice with some upstart like me, but Lia, I thought, was another story. Young, beautiful, bored; I thought there was no way that she could resist my charms."

Elena groaned. "You tried to seduce her."

Damon nodded and lifted his bourbon to his lips. "Yep."

Elena shook her head softly. "Well obviously _that _went well."

"She laughed herself sick." Damon said, chagrined.

Elena couldn't help but to giggle.

"Has anyone told you how _amazingly _sensitive you are, Elena?" Damon asked her with a smirk.

"Sorry." Elena said with a sheepish grin. "So…you tried to seduce your vampire neighbor and failed…miserably."

Damon nodded. "Yes, but I also learned that she was a vampire and she learned that I was one as well. Heaven knows why, but she took pity on me. She took me under her wing in spite of my bumbling attempt to seduce her. She was much like I remember my mother: intelligent, charming, funny...sometimes it was as if my mother was alive again. And Dante was like the father I'd always wished I had. They showed me what I needed to know in order to survive. They taught me how to use compulsion and more importantly how to use it so that I didn't get myself burned at the stake for witchcraft or something equally barbaric."

Elena's eyebrows knitted together. "Hadn't they stopped burning witches by then? And what do you mean? It's not like it's obvious that you're using compulsion."

"They had stopped burning witches officially, but hysteria is a powerful thing, especially in small towns. Even today, how was Bonnie's grandmother treated?"

Elena paused. "Like she was crazy."

Damon gave another nod. "And that's the best case scenario. She didn't come out to the whole town and confess she was a witch. Believe me, the law doesn't stand in the way of zealots."

This time it was Elena's turn to nod. "Alright, so I get _why, _but what do you mean?"

Damon smirked. "When you compelled the bartender, you convinced them that he'd already seen your ID, right?"

Elena bobbed her head. "Right."

"Why?" Damon questioned curiously.

"What?" Elena questioned, obviously confused.

"Why didn't you just compel him to give you the beer instead?" Damon pressed.

Elena paused for a moment, considering. "I suppose because that would sound weird if anyone overheard it."

Damon nodded. "Precisely. That's what Lia taught me. If you have a person alone it doesn't matter as much, but when you're in a crowded room? Well, you can't compel everybody...not without some serious help. It becomes more important to hide what you're doing and the best way to do that is to make it look like you're having a normal conversation. People might get suspicious if you told the guy to just give you the beer and he did, but when you tell him that you've already shown him your ID and he suddenly remembers that you did they don't think twice about it. It's also easier to compel someone to do or believe something when it's something that they would normally be comfortable with. Under normal circumstances that guy wouldn't just give you a beer without seeing your ID, so forcing him to do it would be difficult, especially as young as you are; but when he gets busy he probably does check IDs and forget he has checked them. It's much easier to convince him that he has seen your ID already and doesn't need to see it again."

"That makes sense." Elena said.

Damon smiled at her. "It does...and it's good that you've picked up on it already without anyone having to tell you. It will make it more natural for you. I, on the other hand, had to be taught. She showed me how to work the system so that I got what I wanted and came out smelling like roses. Sure, I could compel some guy on the street to give me his money, but then what? That guy's family goes hungry and eventually people pick up on an unusual string of thefts. Why do that when I can take the money that I earn legitimately and convince merchants and traders to let me invest in their business for a hefty return? They benefit, I benefit, everybody goes home happy and thinks that I'm a standup guy with a lot of business acumen. "

"So what happened?" Elena questioned.

Damon shrugged. "What I had always planned on happening. I made a fortune, returned our estate to its former glory and came back to America to search for a way to free Katherine from the tomb before people could start noticing that I didn't age. Lia and Dante didn't come with me...at least not at first. Italy was their home and I was too busy trying to free Katherine and attempting to wrangle my brother to even try and convince them otherwise. When modern air travel came about they decided that it was time to come and pay me a visit. They keep a home in Miami now and we visit each other from time to time."

"Why didn't you tell me about them before?" Elena questioned, a small frown curling across her lips.

Damon gave her a pointed look. "Exactly how many heart-to-heart conversations did we have before that didn't revolve around my brother in some way or another?"

Elena's frown deepened. "There were a few." She defended.

Damon nodded. "A few, but not enough for me to tell you enough about Dante and Lia."

Elena sighed. "I really was a self-absorbed ass, wasn't I?"

Damon held up his thumb and index finger in a measuring motion. "A little bit." He smiled at Elena and leaned over to kiss her on the top of her forehead. "But that's alright. I love you anyway."

Elena smiled. "And I'm thankful that you do."

"I've always loved you, Elena, and nothing ever could or would change that. You were the lone hold out here." Damon said sincerely.

Elena ran a hand through her hair nervously and then gave Damon a small grin. "Well then, I guess I'm glad that I finally wised up."

Damon laughed and kissed Elena gently on the lips. "Me too." He slid off of his stool and grabbed her by the hand, tugging on her gently. "Now come on. We've got to get going if we don't want to miss our flight."

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**Author's Note: **I was going to keep going, but I think I'm going to end this chapter there. I'm thinking next chapter will be an optional Delena lemon chapter, so stay tuned! Hope you enjoyed it. ;) As always, reviews are appreciated!


	34. The Mile High Club

**Author's Note:** Thank you as always to everyone who has continued to read and review the story! The special shout-out for this chapter goes out to marana1, who joined my multi-review club. :D

I still don't own TVD. :( No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 34: The Mile High Club**

At the front of the plane a flight attendant with a neat bob of auburn colored hair was calling for the passengers' attention as she started to display the safety briefing video. Elena wasn't paying the least bit of attention until Damon decided to start parodying everything on the video.

"Please keep your seatbelt fastened, because if the plane goes down, we want your body to be _in _the seat rather than on the floor.

You must comply with the lighted signs, otherwise the flight attendant will give you a stern talking to, because the chance that there will be an air marshal on a flight from North Carolina to Atlanta is about as good as your chance of winning the lottery.

Bunny-eating vampires should not be seated in the emergency exit row as they are clearly pansies and will not be able to assist in evacuating the humans. If you are a bunny-eating vampire, please let your flight attendant know so she can bring you the appropriate in-flight meal.

If the cabin depressurizes oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Please apply your own mask before helping anyone else with their own, unless of course you're a vampire who doesn't need to breathe; in that case please bend over and kiss your ass goodbye because this ship is going down.

In case of a water landing there are life vests located beneath your seat and your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device; if you're travelling with someone named Rose who has a giant blue heart-shaped diamond around her neck do not under any circumstances share your seat cushion with her, because the bitch will not give it back and will leave you to freeze to death in the icy cold water.

As a reminder, smoking is not allowed on board, although we _highly _encourage drinking. Flight attendants will be circulating to get you good and tanked once our flight is in progress.

All electronics must be turned off until we reach cruising altitude and cell phones must be turned off for the duration of the flight, so that porn you downloaded on your computer to watch in-flight will just have to wait until we reach thirty-thousand feet.

Seatbacks and tray tables must be in their upright and locked position; when we reach the appropriate height for you to join the mile-high club we'll let you know so that you can lean them back.

If you have any questions about the safety instructions, please review the safety information card prior to takeoff; if you have any questions about interesting sexual positions, please consult the roguishly handsome vampire in first-class; he and his devastatingly sexy girlfriend will be happy to give you a demonstration."

By the time that Damon ended his spiel Elena was laughing so hard that she was nearly in tears. She shook her head at Damon and tilted her head to the side curiously, a mirthful smile lingering upon her lips.

"Oh really? We're giving demonstrations now?" Elena asked.

Damon flashed Elena a lascivious grin and nodded his head. "Oh yes, we certainly are."

Elena smirked. "And just what makes you qualified to give these demonstrations?"

Damon gave a grin that was all too self-pleased. "Well, I don't want to _brag _or anything, but I do have over a century of experience with sex and since I'm strong enough to bench press a car I can do suspended positions like a pro."

Elena raised an eyebrow curiously. "Is that so?"

Damon raised his eyebrows in return. "Questioning my skills, Elena?"

Elena grinned back at him mischievously. "I think I might need to see a demonstration...you know...before we start giving public demonstrations. I wouldn't want to be embarrassed when you make a fool out of us both."

A hearty chuckle escaped Damon's lips. "Now I'm going to make a fool out of us both?"

Elena smiled coyly. "It's a possibility. Like I said, I think I need a private demonstration first."

"But public is so much more fun," Damon said with a wiggle of his eyebrows as he leaned over to gently nip at Elena's neck before dragging his tongue along the column of her throat.

Damon heard the delicate hitch in her breath and smelled the telltale signs of her arousal perfuming the air. "See?" He asked with a smirk as he unfastened her seatbelt and then grasped her by the waist, pulling her out of her own seat and into his own, making her straddle his lap.

Elena settled herself on Damon's lap and leaned down so that her forehead rested against his and the dark curtain of her hair hid them both from view. "Public is going to get us both in trouble."

"No it's not." Damon insisted as he brought his lips upwards to meet Elena's. He captured her mouth in a deep and searing kiss, his lips pressing ardently against hers and his tongue stroking gently along the crease of her lips, seeking entrance into her mouth. His right hand moved from her hip where it was settled and reached up to bury into her hair, gripping the silken strands tightly between his fingers and using them to hold her to him.

Damon barely heard the sound of someone clearing her throat next to his shoulder and he damn sure didn't want to dignify the irritating sound with a response, but Elena didn't give him much choice as she wrenched her lips away from his.

"Yes?" Damon said politely to the auburn haired flight attendant that he vaguely recognized from her earlier presentation, his irritation thinly disguised by a mask of pleasantry and a clearly forced smile.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that you both need to take your seats and fasten your seatbelts." The clearly flustered stewardess replied.

Damon gestured for her to come closer and the flight attendant leaned in obediently. As soon as she did Damon caught her eyes and compelled her. "Actually, we don't need to. What we need is to be left alone for the duration of the flight. You won't disturb us any further and if anybody makes any complaints about us you'll tell them you'll look into it and then immediately remember you have something else more important to do. You won't see anything out of the ordinary from either of us for the duration of the flight."

The flight attendant bobbed her head in acknowledgement as Damon released the compulsion. "Of course, sir. You're not to be disturbed. There's absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Have a nice flight!" And off the stewardess went, making her rounds as if nothing had ever happened.

"Damon!" Elena said in an outraged tone.

"What?" Damon asked with an unrepentant grin. "I told you we wouldn't get in trouble and now we won't. We're not hurting anyone."

"No, just scandalizing them." Elena fired back.

Damon's grin only widened. "A little scandal is good for the soul. People love to gossip; just imagine how interesting it will make the flight for the other passengers."

"What if there's a kid?" Elena gasped in protest as Damon started feathering kisses down her neck and chest.

"There are no children around, I promise. C'mon Elena, live a little." Damon wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully.

Elena gave him a skeptical look and then finally rolled her eyes and gave a soft sigh as she relented. "Fine, but if this ends up on the internet I'm going to kill you."

Damon gave a throaty chuckle as he reached up to grasp the back of Elena's head, pulling her mouth down towards his once again. "Don't worry, if anyone records this I'll buy the recording and we can make it the first addition to our home video collection."

"The first addition?" Elena questioned, but before she could demand an answer Damon silenced her with another searing kiss, his lips covering hers and putting an end to the conversation.

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**Author's Note: **That's all you get for the censored version. :-P For the full-version in all its lemony goodness, go check out AFFN or FCL. Reviews are always welcome! :D


	35. Redemption

**Author's Note: **Sorry I haven't been able to get this up sooner, work has been keeping me busy. I'll do my best to update as frequently as I can though! ^^ As always, thanks to all you readers and especially those of you who take the time to review. :D Still don't own TVD, no copyright infringement is intended, you know the drill.

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**Chapter 35: Redemption**

Caroline was in the middle of blow drying her hair and getting ready for bed when she distantly heard a banging sound. Her nose wrinkled in confusion and she shut off the hairdryer, listening closely to see if she heard anything else. Just as she was about to turn the hair dryer back on the sound came once again. This time she could tell that it was a knock upon her front door.

"What in the world?" Caroline questioned the air before calling out more loudly: "I'm coming!"

Caroline bounced down the stairs and opened up the door to see Tyler standing on her front porch. "Tyler!" She exclaimed happily.

"Guess again, love." Klaus replied with a smirk. "I'd ask if you have your things ready, but judging by the state of your hair and those lovely pajamas I'm guessing that the answer would be no."

Caroline put a hand to her hair self-consciously and then quickly jerked it away again as she shot Klaus a glare. "It's not like I knew you were coming or my hair would be perfect as always and I would be dressed. And what the hell are you talking about having my things ready for?"

Klaus' self-satisfied smirk remained plastered across Tyler's face. "It's good to know that you're concerned about your appearance around me; however you're always lovely, Caroline. I'm quite fond of those little ducks you have on your pajama pants and your hair is beautiful even though it is damp." He flashed Caroline a small smile before continuing. "As for having your things ready...well, you were present at the meeting, were you not? We have children to go retrieve."

Caroline shuddered. "Don't say it like that...it makes it sound like you're going to go eat a baby or something."

"Babies are quite delicious." Klaus replied, making Caroline's eyes fly open wide.

Klaus burst into laughter at the sight and Caroline scowled at him in response. "You're screwing with me."

Klaus simply smiled at Caroline. "Not yet, love; although I am joking with you. I have been accused of many things, but murdering infants isn't one of them."

Caroline peered at him skeptically. "Why do I find that hard to believe?"

Klaus shrugged. "Because you don't trust me yet."

"Or ever." Caroline bit back.

Klaus shook his head at her. "Perhaps. That really remains to be seen though, now doesn't it? You seem to be in a particularly pernicious mood, Caroline. Have I done something to offend you?"

"Besides existing?" Caroline chirped back cattily.

"We both know that you want me to continue existing, so yes, besides that." Klaus replied.

Caroline glared at him balefully. "No, I suppose not."

Klaus moved to lean in the doorway, peering at Caroline from across the threshold. "Well, that clarifies things." He said in a pleasant and light tone that belied his sarcastic implications.

Caroline gave a huff of irritation and turned her back on him. "Just come the hell in. _Apparently _I need to get ready and we're just wasting time this way."

Klaus smirked and shook his head at Caroline, entering upon her invitation and closing the door behind him. He followed Caroline up to her room, lingering there as Caroline grabbed some clothing and slipped back into the bathroom to dress and finish drying her hair.

While she was otherwise occupied Klaus took the opportunity to look around the room, taking in the surroundings. It was effeminate and yet mature with very few traces of Caroline's childhood, which intrigued Klaus. Most young women kept at least a few mementos of childhood: a beloved teddy bear or a favorite doll, perhaps; Caroline seemed to have none of these.

What she _did _have, however, was the drawing he had given to her. He found it rolled up and tucked away on her bookshelf, nearly completely hidden, but still there; perhaps there was hope after all.

Klaus heard the hairdryer shut off and quickly tucked the drawing back into its place before seating himself on Caroline's bed, giving the appearance of nonchalance so that hopefully he wouldn't arouse suspicions. Thankfully Caroline seemed preoccupied with packing and breezed right past him on her way to the closet. As she was pulling clothes out of the closet Caroline started speaking to him, not bothering to turn and look at him as she spoke.

"How the hell are _you _in control of Tyler's body anyway?" Caroline asked.

"Your witch friend did a spell, love, remember?" Klaus replied offhandedly.

Caroline rolled her eyes at him. "I _know _that; I meant how are you awake or whatever? I thought Tyler was supposed to come out more as the full moon approached? The full moon is only two days away."

"Ah, yes, that. Well...two things, really. One, Tyler isn't fighting me for control just now; he's being very valiant in his efforts to remain acquiescent so that I can do what needs to be done. Two, your witch friend did another little spell when I told her how important it was that I be alert for this. She didn't seem happy about it, but she has become quite practical in our time of need. Long story short: for the next two days this body is mine, but once the full moon hits the spell won't hold; which means, love, that time is wasting."

Caroline tossed her bag at his chest. "I'm ready. If you didn't want to wait you should have given me some notice beforehand."

Klaus caught the bag and smirked at Caroline. "Yes, but the wait was worth it to see you acting so feisty."

Caroline rolled her eyes at Klaus and started walking out of her room. "You're going to be completely intolerable for the next two days, aren't you?"

Klaus smirked. "That depends: do you find me intolerable now?"

"Yep." Caroline replied glibly.

"Then yes, I anticipate being intolerable for the next two days." Klaus said in return.

Caroline rolled her eyes and opened the front door, nearly crashing into her mother since she was focused on Klaus and not what was in front of her.

Liz's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Caroline. "Caroline, what are you doing here?" She paused for a moment, looking to Tyler. "Tyler? You too? I thought we told you guys to get out of town?"

"Yeah, about that..." Caroline began.

"We were going to leave, Mrs. Forbes, but there have been some unexpected developments." Klaus replied politely, sounding entirely too much like Tyler for Caroline's comfort.

"Unexpected developments?" Liz questioned, looking between Tyler and her daughter.

"Alaric is dead." Caroline replied.

Liz's eyes widened. "What? How?"

"It's a really long story, mom, and not one that's entirely mine to tell, but that's not the point." Caroline replied.

"And what is the point?" Liz questioned.

"The witches are hunting us." Tyler's voice answered.

"The witches?" Liz asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "And who is us?" She added as an afterthought.

"Oh, every single vampire in the world..." Caroline replied flippantly.

"Caroline, can you please just give me a straight answer?" Liz said, getting frustrated.

"It's a pretty complicated and involved story, Mrs. Forbes, but the short version is that Alaric was working with some witches. When he was killed they decided to send some of their own kind to finish the job and kill all of the vampires. We think they're going to attack on Prom night." Tyler explained, saving Caroline the trouble.

Liz frowned. "Prom night? But that's this week."

Caroline nodded. "Yeah mom, which is why it's important that we be ready, which we can't do if you don't let us go."

"Where are you going?" Liz asked, clearly concerned.

"We're just going to get some reinforcements, Mrs. Forbes. We'll be back in two days, I promise."

Liz didn't look sold on the idea, but slowly she nodded. "What can I do in the meantime?"

Caroline cut in to answer her mom. "Talk to Bonnie; help her with whatever she needs and make sure she stays safe. And stock up on ammo; maybe we'll luck out and these witches won't be bulletproof."

Liz seemed a bit perturbed by the comment, but she didn't say anything. "Alright. I'll look after Bonnie. You two be careful in the meantime, okay? Especially when you come back to Mystic Falls. If Ric is dead then it may take the others some time to regroup, but it will happen eventually."

Caroline nodded. "I know, mom. We'll be careful. I promise."

Caroline hugged her mother tightly as Klaus watched. His eyes softened a bit at the sight. When Caroline finally released Liz and stepped away Klaus stepped forward and offered Liz his hand. "It was a pleasure speaking to you again, Mrs. Forbes."

Liz eyed Tyler warily and slowly nodded. "You too, Tyler. You take care of my daughter, you understand?"

Klaus inclined his head politely. "Of course, ma'am."

Klaus gently placed a hand on the small of Caroline's back and escorted her off of the porch. When they reached Tyler's car Klaus opened the door politely for Caroline and helped her in before tossing Caroline's bag into the trunk and settling himself behind the wheel. As soon as he put the key into the ignition Caroline started talking to him at a rapid fire pace.

"What the hell was that?" She hissed beneath her breath.

"What was what, love?" Klaus asked politely.

"Of course, _ma'am_? It was a pleasure speaking to you again, _Mrs. Forbes_? One: you've never spoken to my mother before; two: I repeat, what the hell?" Caroline was looking at him as if he had grown a second head.

"I haven't, but Tyler has; I think it might have been suspicious if I had spoken to her as if I had never met her before, don't you?" Klaus asked as he shifted the car into drive and began to pull away from the house.

Caroline paused and frowned. "I suppose so, but..."

"But?" Klaus questioned rhetorically. "Believe it or not, Caroline, I'm capable of being polite, especially if it puts me in your good graces."

Caroline eyes Klaus skeptically. "Why do you want to be in my good graces?"

"I believe we've already covered this, haven't we Caroline? Or was what Tyler said to you unclear? I know he told you about my feelings. I haven't professed them myself yet because I know you would reject them, but I assumed that you at least understood my motivations."

Caroline remained quiet for a minute. The minute dragged out into two. Finally she spoke again. "You really care about me?"

"Yes, Caroline." Klaus replied without hesitation.

Caroline looked him over once again. "Why me?"

Klaus laughed. "That's not really the question you want to ask."

"It's not?" Caroline snapped back with mild irritation. "Funny, because I'm pretty sure that's what I asked."

Klaus remained calm in spite of Caroline's tone. "No, it's not. What you want to ask is: how can someone like _me _love anyone besides himself?"

Caroline snorted. "Well, if the shoe fits..."

Klaus paused for a moment before responding sincerely. "I've been selfish." He admitted.

"Understatement of the year." Caroline snapped back.

Klaus nodded. "Admittedly, but...I finally got what I wanted."

"Well hooray for you!" Caroline replied sarcastically.

"Are you going to let me finish?" Klaus asked her.

Caroline waved at him as if to say: _continue_.

"I finally got what I wanted...and I realized that it didn't make me happy. I thought that if I was no longer cut off from my werewolf side that I would be stronger. I thought nobody could hurt me. Most importantly I thought that I might finally _feel _like I belonged."

"But you didn't." Caroline surmised.

Klaus frowned and then slowly shook his head. "No...no I didn't. Not even with the hybrids...I didn't feel like I belonged." Klaus paused and looked at her. "But when I'm with you...I do...or at least I feel like I could."

Caroline's eyebrows knitted together and a frown creased her lips as she looked at him. "And when you find out you're wrong about that as well?"

"I'm not." Klaus replies simply.

"And if you are?" Caroline pressed.

"Then I will do my upmost to leave this body and never be a bother to you again." Klaus promised.

Caroline eyed Klaus skeptically. "Why should I believe you?"

Klaus shrugged. "You have no reason to, Caroline, and you know that as well as I do. I'm a liar, but I will say this: I've never lied to you."

"You let me think you were Tyler...I call that lying."

Klaus nodded his head. "I lied by omission, yes, but I never told you I was him."

"Still lying." Caroline said impudently.

Klaus sighed. "I can't make you believe me, Caroline. I'm a bad man. I've done far worse things than lying and I'm sure I will do worse things in the future, likely the near future. You can believe me or you can't, either way it doesn't really change anything."

Caroline pursed her lips softly and looked away. "No, I suppose it doesn't."

Klaus looked towards Caroline. He reached out as if to stroke her hair and then noticed something as he caught her reflection in the window: she was crying. He had made her cry. Something about that pained him.

Klaus curled his fingers into a fist and slowly pulled his hand away from her again, placing it back on the wheel. "You should go ahead and get some sleep, Caroline. I'll wake you when we get where we're going."

Caroline nodded numbly. "Alright. Don't kill anybody while I'm asleep." She teased him half-heartedly.

Klaus smiled sadly. "I'll do my best." He promised.

Caroline leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. Her eyes started to droop within seconds. Within a matter of minutes she was sleeping peacefully.

Klaus stole a glance at Caroline every so often, puzzling over the conundrum that was her in his mind as he drove. He was a master strategist and yet this one little girl constantly confounded him. He didn't know how she did it, but she did none the less. He should be angry with her, frustrated by her, but instead it only made him love her more. Yes, love. He hadn't voiced the words himself, wasn't even sure what Tyler had said was true, and yet...

When he looked at her, he knew that it was right. For the first time in his life he actually cared for something more than himself.

And that thought _terrified _him.

What if the witches killed her?

What if they killed him and destroyed her in the process?

What if she could never love him because of his past?

What if he never deserved her?

He had never questioned his right to take what he pleased before, but this little slip of a girl had him questioning his entire existence. He'd thought that he was Darwinism at its finest, but now he realized he was nothing more than a spoiled, selfish brat who had lived his whole life raging because nobody loved him, never realizing that he had made _himself _unlovable.

But now...now he realized. And God help him, he wanted a chance to change. He wanted to be _worthy _of her love, but he worried that it was too late.

Tyler cared for Caroline and she cared for him in return. It had occurred to Klaus more than once that perhaps after all of this was over he should leave them be, let them be happy together, and yet...

And yet he couldn't. He couldn't just give her up. It was another selfish decision, he knew, but he simply _couldn't_.

"Please God, Goddess, whoever's up there...just give me a chance at redemption." Klaus said beneath his breath as he reached out to slowly, tentatively brush his knuckles along Caroline's cheek.

"Klaus," she murmured sleepily as she rolled over.

For a moment Klaus thought that he had awakened her. He held perfectly still, like a deer caught in the headlights, but as her breathing evened once more he realized that she was still asleep.

Did she dream of him, he wondered?

He knew that it couldn't be. Any dreams she had of him would be nightmares. He'd done so much to her...caused her so much pain and suffering. He could never make up for it.

Even still, he prayed that she could forgive him, love him, because in the end she was the only one who had any hope of saving him.

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**Author's Note: **Okay, I know a lot of you don't like Klaroline...but I gotta' say they're growing on me. XP I hope you enjoyed it, Klaroline fan or no! As always, reviews are appreciated. :D


	36. Home

**Author's Note: Happy Fourth of July! **:D I know, it has been so long since I updated! D: I'm sorry guys, this week has been absolutely crazy. I won't bore you with the details, but it's been hectic, so please forgive the delay.

I still don't own The Vampire Diaries. :( Sad, but true. No copyright infringement is intended. That being said, happy reading! :)

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**Chapter 36: Home**

Katherine looked at the small cape-cod style home that they had pulled in front of skeptically, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "You're kidding me, right?"

Elijah gave an exasperated sigh, stopping half-way up the sidewalk to turn and look at Katherine who was still leaning against her Porsche. "No, Katherine, I am not kidding you. Now are you going to dawdle there all day or are you going to join me?"

Katherine lifted her nails up to inspect them. "I don't know...I don't think any respectable vampire would be living in a place like _that_, much less a second generation vampire."

Elijah rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Fine. Suit yourself."

As Elijah turned on his heel and walked away Katherine's lips pursed in displeasure. She pushed herself away from the car and fell into stride behind Elijah, scampering to catch up to him. He had just finished knocking on the front door when Katherine came to a stop behind him.

"So who is this vampire anyway?" Katherine asked nonchalantly.

"Nobody you would know." Elijah replied curtly.

"Well thank you, Captain Obvious." Katherine snapped back.

"You're welcome." Elijah replied in his usual, pleasant tone as he tried to suppress a smile.

Before Katherine could tear into Elijah the front door swung open, revealing an attractive young man who appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties. Chin-length brown hair framed his face and a slight stubble dotted his square chin, giving him a roguish appearance. His gray eyes held a hardness that Katherine recognized all too well, because she saw it every day in the mirror; that hardness instantly told her that this was not a man to be trifled with, which of course made the impulse to trifle with him all the more irresistible.

Katherine, ever the opportunist, couldn't resist the impulse to get back at Elijah for toying with her, especially when opportunity presented itself so nicely in the package of an unapproachable but completely gorgeous male vampire. She pushed her way past Elijah and approached the stranger, encroaching on his space as she peered up at him from underneath thick lashes.

"Well well, Elijah, I didn't know you had such good taste in men." Katherine purred as she reached up and placed a hand against the stranger's cheek where she felt his stubble prickling at her hand. "I do have to say, he looks good enough to eat."

"And if you don't take your hand off of him right this instant I'll remove it for you." Came a high-pitched, feminine voice from inside.

Katherine flicked her eyes downwards to see a girl standing behind the man's shoulder, glaring daggers at her and looking very much like she would follow through with her threat. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Katherine removed her hand from the man's cheek. Once she did the unnamed man stepped aside, letting the girl through the door and moving to stand behind her.

"And who might you be?" Katherine questioned curiously. The girl was young; she didn't look a day over eighteen and could have passed for younger, though given that she was a vampire Katherine knew that she was likely much, much older.

Elijah chose that moment to chime in. "Katherine, meet Lisabeth, my child. Lisabeth, this is Katherine."

Lisabeth slid her gaze slowly down Katherine's body and then back up again, as if she was inspecting a piece of meat. "I should have guessed."

Katherine snarled at Lisabeth. "And what does _that _mean?"

Lisabeth flashed Katherine a smile filled with sparkling white teeth. "Only that you have met my expectations. Take it as you will. Now if you'll excuse me, you're in my way." Lisabeth made a shooing motion with her hand and then butted right past Katherine on her way to Elijah. She quickly enveloped Elijah in a hug which was instantly returned by the much taller man. Dwarfed by Elijah, Lisabeth looked practically child-like, but in spite of her childish appearance Katherine couldn't help the flare of jealousy that reared its ugly head as she saw the two embrace.

Katherine was so distracted by the pair that she didn't notice the other man approaching her. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a masculine voice spoke close to her ear. "I'm Warren, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't, thank you." Katherine hissed back rudely.

Warren simply smirked in amusement. "I can tell. You're far too busy trying to bore holes in Lizzy with your gaze. It's not working, in case you're wondering."

"Thank you for that _insightful _observation, Warren." Katherine bit back from between clenched teeth.

"You're welcome." Warren replied cheerily, a bemused smile upon his face.

Katherine turned her dagger-laden glare to the man and decided then and there that these three were _entirely _too happy. Smug little bastards. She ought to wipe those smirks right off of their faces.

"You want to come in, Lije?" Lisabeth chirped.

Katherine bit down on the inside of her lip as she stifled the urge to strangle the petite vampire. Lisabeth was only about five feet tall and she had the birdlike structure of a ballerina; it couldn't be that hard, could it?

"Wouldn't try it if I were you." Warren cautioned; apparently Katherine had been telegraphing her intent with her body language, or perhaps it was just the murderous look on her face that gave her away.

"Sure, Lizzy." Elijah replied with an affection smile as he released the girl. If he noticed Katherine's murderous looks he gave no indication of it.

Warren, on the other hand, looked thoroughly amused as he turned around and strolled back into the house.

Katherine shot Elijah and Lisabeth a glare before turning sharply on her heel and following him into the house, Elijah and Lisabeth close on her heels.

"Can I get you anything?" Warren asked Katherine and Elijah politely as they entered.

"No, thank you." Elijah said, sounding entirely too comfortable.

"Scotch." Katherine replied shortly as she looked around the house. It was so...normal. It looked like any middle-class suburban household. A cream colored sectional adorned with pale blue and green throw pillows and a maple coffee table sat in front of a neatly organized entertainment center with a modest sized television and the standard array of electronics that one would see in almost any home in America today. A hallway led to what Katherine could only assume was the kitchen since Warren had taken off down it, presumably to fetch that scotch she had requested, or at least that was what Katherine hoped. Off to her left there was a dining room that looked almost picture-perfect; likely because it was never used, and stairs that led to the second floor.

Katherine was betting that Warren and Lisabeth didn't entertain much, because anyone who saw this house would know that something was _seriously _wrong. Teenagers didn't live in homes that looked like something out of Martha Stewart Living and even though Katherine knew that Lisabeth and Warren had probably lapped twenty more than a few times it was still hard to reconcile herself with the fact that this was their home; vampires didn't have the white picket fence, not where she came from. Opulent mansions? Yes. Old family estates? Sometimes. Creepy old houses? Occasionally. Normalcy? Never.

The jingle of ice cubes caught her attention. Katherine's brown eyes quickly moved to meet Warren's gray ones before landing on the glass that he was holding out to her.

"Hope you don't mind it on the rocks." Warren said once he had Katherine's attention.

Katherine nodded softly. "That's fine. Thank you."

Warren smiled at Katherine. "You're welcome."

"It's a lovely home you have here." Katherine commented sincerely to Warren even as her eyes came to rest on Elijah and Lisabeth, who had taken up residence on the couch and were leaning in to talk to each other with smiles upon their faces. Occasionally one or the other would laugh; it struck Katherine as odd because she so rarely saw Elijah laugh.

"Thank you. Lisabeth is responsible for most of it." Warren replied.

"She has an eye for design." Katherine remarked offhandedly, her eyes remaining glued on the pair occupying the couch.

"You can stop worrying, you know. It's not like that between them. It never has been." Warren interjected, turning the polite conversation to a more relevant topic.

Katherine managed to tear her eyes away from Elijah and Lisabeth long enough to look at Warren. "How do you know?"

Warren held up his left hand in response, showing off a simple silver wedding band.

"You're married?" Katherine asked, surprise evident in her tone.

Warren laughed. "You act so surprised. You didn't seem to find me so unattractive at the door."

Katherine shook her head softly. "It's not that, it's just..."

"Just what?" Warren asked.

"I've never met vampires that were actually married. I always just assumed it didn't happen. We live so long, after all; our relationships are doomed to fail."

Warren smirked softly. "That's an awfully cynical view on love."

Katherine shrugged her shoulders in response. "Love has taught me to be cynical."

Warren looked towards Lisabeth, letting his gaze slide over her adoringly. "Well then, I suppose you just haven't met the right one."

"Or you're just too young to have figured out yet that there is never a right one." Katherine replied guardedly.

Warren's eyebrows knitted together in concern as he looked towards Katherine before he offered a soft shake of his head. "All due respect, ma'am, but young or not there's one thing I can definitely tell you and that is that there is _always _a right one."

Katherine shook her head softly. "Right...there's _one _perfect soulmate for everybody, so you better hope that your soulmate just happens to be born in the same decade on the same continent and doesn't happen to get hit by a bus before you meet him or her."

Warren smirked softly. "Fate has a way of working things out. Lizzy was born over nine hundred years ago and we met, didn't we?"

"You're a fool." Katherine said shortly. "An idealistic fool."

Warren inclined his head politely towards her. "Perhaps so, ma'am." Warren paused and looked towards Elijah. "But if you don't mind me saying so, calling me a fool isn't going to change the way you feel about him."

"Elijah is a friend, nothing more." Katherine replied crisply. "Loving other people gets you killed and if you manage to live long enough they will leave or betray you. The only person I love any more is myself."

Warren shook his head softly at Katherine. "Guess Elijah was right."

Katherine frowned at the remark and peered at Warren curiously. "Right about what?"

Warren gave Katherine a good-old-boy grin that was meant to look innocent but came out looking mischievous instead. "About having a whole mess of work ahead of him."

Katherine's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Elijah said that? About me?"

Warren nodded. "Yes. He was excited when he found you again, but afraid as well. He worried for your safety before Klaus completed the spell to lift his curse, and after…well…he was just worried about you. I know you haven't had it easy, Ms. Petrova."

"Don't call me that." Katherine said, her lips setting into a thin line.

"Ms. Petrova is your name, isn't it?" Warren asked with a quizzical look.

"It was once, but not anymore. Katherine will do." Katherine replied.

"Very well then, Ms. Katherine." Warren replied.

Katherine grimaced at the familiar term of endearment. "_Just _Katherine."

"Katherine." Warren parroted with a smirk.

Katherine gave a brief nod. "So how did you and Lisabeth meet?"

Warren raised an eyebrow curiously. "You really care?"

Katherine smirked softly. "I suppose not, but it seemed a little more tactful than asking what the hell **is**going on with those two."

Warran chuckled. "That's true, I suppose." Warren paused, glancing back towards Lisabeth and letting his gaze trace over her face affectionately. It was almost enough to make Katherine ill.

"We met at Pearl Harbor. Lisabeth was a nurse and I was a pilot with the air force. When I was injured in the attack Lisabeth turned me to save my life. We've been together ever since." Warran gave Katherine a small smile. "As for Lisabeth and Elijah, you'll have to ask them."

"Are you over here telling Lije's secrets, Warren?" Lisabeth's dulcet voice cut in as she came up behind Warren and wrapped her arms around him. Katherine watched as Warren took one of Lisabeth's hands in his own and gently squeezed before using his grip on her hand to pull Lisabeth out from behind him so that he could bestow a soft kiss on her lips.

"You know better than that, Lizzy." Warren said with the faintest trace of a smile upon his lips.

Lizzy lifted her forest green eyes up to meet Warren's as he reached out to brush a strand of dishwater blonde hair away from her face. "I do, do I?" Lizzy asked, clearly skeptical.

Elijah stepped over to them and interjected. "I have no secrets to keep, Lisabeth, you know that."

Lisabeth gave a derisive snort and gave Elijah a skeptical look. "Right...and if I buy that do you have some beachfront property to sell me in Arizona?"

Elijah's lips twitched up at the corner mirthfully. "Perhaps." He replied.

Katherine took a long drink of her scotch. She could tell she was going to need it to get through this.

Lisabeth flicked her gaze towards Katherine, eyeing her curiously. "I never thought I'd have the pleasure of meeting the infamous Katerina Petrova."

Katherine lowered the glass from her lips and gave Lisabeth a disgusted look. "Does _nobody _around here know my name?"

"She prefers to be called Katherine, Lizzy." Warren interjected helpfully.

"Ah, yes, Katherine Pierce. Elijah did mention that you had changed it. Part of your efforts to escape from Niklaus, no doubt." Lizzy said with a smirk.

"And what would you know about escaping Niklaus?" Katherine asked, a sneer upon her face.

Lisabeth smirked in amusement. "Plenty."

"Lisabeth was the original object of Klaus' desire. When she rejected him, Klaus tried to kill her." Warren explained for Katherine's benefit.

"And he would have been successful had it not been for Elijah." Lisabeth added, peering at Elijah with a mixture of gratitude and adoration.

"I could not let him destroy you, Lizzy. You are like a sister to me." Elijah replied, smiling back at Lisabeth.

"I've met your sister. I wouldn't call that a compliment." Katherine interjected snidely. The way the two were making goo-goo eyes at each other made Katherine want to break something.

Lisabeth looked at Katherine for a moment, seeming to evaluate her. Rather than snapping back at Katherine with a scathing retort she turned her gaze to Elijah and redirected the conversation. "So, Elijah, what is it that has brought you here? I doubt that you drug poor Katherine three-hundred miles just to go on a double date with Warren and me."

Elijah gave a small, strained smile. "Sadly, no. I've come because I need your help."

Lisabeth raised an eyebrow curiously. "My help?"

Elijah nodded. "Yes."

Lisabeth gave a soft laugh. "Well…wonders never cease. What in the world could you possibly need _my _help for, Elijah?"

Elijah's lips bowed downwards. "It's…complicated."

"I think I can manage to follow along." Lisabeth said, looking bemused.

Elijah ran a hand nervously through his hair and pushed out a soft sigh. "To make a long story short? The witches have gotten their hands on mother's indestructible white-oak stake and intend to use it on all of the originals in order to wipe vampires from the face of the Earth."

Lisabeth frowned. "Well...we all knew the day would come. Honestly I'm surprised that they waited this long."

"I believe that mother kept them from doing so because she wanted to rectify her own..._mistake_. Fortunately she was unsuccessful in doing so; however I am afraid that her failure has only made the witches more ruthless and determined to complete their mission." Elijah confessed.

"Your mother lives?" Lisabeth questioned.

Elijah shook his head softly. "No. She is dead."

"And yet she still wishes to kill you, even from the other side of the veil?" Lisabeth questioned.

Elijah nodded. "She does."

Lisabeth's lips set into a thin, hard line. "Some people do not deserve to be mothers."

Warren placed his hand gently on Lisabeth's shoulder and leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head. Lisabeth drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly before squaring her shoulders and raising her chin, seeming to draw strength from Warren's simple gesture of support.

In spite of Katherine's distaste for Lisabeth she couldn't help but be intrigued by the interaction between the two. She had never seen two people who seemed so entwined with each other; they were completely and totally in tune. Watching them was like seeing everything she had ever wanted: a deep and abiding love that Katherine had convinced herself could not exist. The thought scared her, because if she admitted that it was possible for such a love to exist then she would no longer be able to tell herself that it didn't; she would have to admit her own failure at finding love and worse, she would have to face the trail of broken hearts that she had left in her wake over the years. That thought was like a punch to her gut.

"I'm sorry, Lisabeth. If there was anything I could do to restore what Klaus took from you..." Elijah began, interrupting Katherine's thoughts.

Lisabeth waved Elijah off. "You're not responsible for your brother's actions. I can't regret what happened, not when it led me to Warren. I've had a good life, Elijah, and I have you to thank for it. Whatever I can do for you, I will."

"As will I." Warren promised.

Elijah nodded, but he still looked pained. "If there was a way to keep you two out of this..."

"You would. I know, Elijah, but this is our fight too. If you lose we'll be dead along with everyone else; I'd rather stand and fight than hide and die a coward." Lisabeth said with surprising resolve.

"I have always fought for what I believe in, Elijah, you know this, and for Lisabeth I would gladly sacrifice my life." Warren added.

Lisabeth smiled and reached up to take Warren's hand in her own before looking back to Elijah. "We're both going to fight, so tell us what you need."

Elijah paused for a moment and then slowly nodded. "We need you in Mystic Falls as soon as you can manage. We will start preparing for battle in two days time, but if you could help the Bennett witches until then..."

"Ayanna's descendants?" Lisabeth questioned.

"Yes." Elijah confirmed.

Lisabeth hesitated for a moment and then slowly nodded. "Alright. I'll do what I can, but you know I don't have powers any longer."

"I know, but you still have your knowledge." Elijah replied.

Lisabeth nodded. "I do." She paused and drew in a deep breath before slowly exhaling. Her eyelashes fluttered down to rest upon her pale cheeks before lifting once again so that she could gaze at Elijah. "We'll be in Mystic Falls by tonight. We'll do all we can to help, Elijah."

"That's all I could ever ask for, Lizzy. Thank you." Elijah said with a strained smile upon his lips.

"Is your brother...?" Lisabeth trailed off, but the question was clear.

Elijah nodded. "Alive, in a manner of speaking, but in another's body thanks to the Bennett witches."

"If he comes after me..." Lisabeth warned.

"He won't, Lizzy, I promise. I know it's hard to believe, but I believe that Klaus is _finally _beginning to see the error of his ways." Elijah replied.

Lisabeth looked taken aback. "What miracle is responsible for that?"

"What miracle is usually responsible for a person's change?" Elijah asked, looking between Warren and Lisabeth pointedly.

"Truly?" Lisabeth questioned, deciphering his insinuation.

"I believe so." Elijah answered.

Lisabeth shook her head softly. "May the god and goddess keep the girl."

Elijah chuckled darkly and nodded. "As you say."

Lisabeth smiled weakly at Elijah. "Well then, Elijah, I suppose that Warren and I should prepare for our trip. We will see you soon?"

Elijah nodded. "You will."

Lisabeth nodded in return and walked over to the door. One by one the others followed suit. Warren and Elijah shook hands and then Elijah and Lisabeth embraced one last time.

"Take care, Elijah. We'll all need your guidance and wisdom." Lisabeth whispered softly into his ear.

Elijah nodded and kissed Lisabeth's forehead in a brotherly fashion. "You take care as well, little Lizzy. You are one of my few good deeds in this lifetime. Without you I'm afraid my legacy is all for naught."

Lizzy's eyes welled with tears and she nodded. "I will. I love you, Lije."

"I love you too, Lizzy." Elijah said with a smile, brushing away a stray tear from Lisabeth's face before anyone else could see it. He gave one last nod to Warren and then stepped out through the door, walking hurriedly away.

Katherine inclined her head politely to the both of them and moved to follow suit.

"Katherine," Lisabeth called.

Katherine paused and turned to look at her. "Yes?"

"Now would be a good time to evaluate your life and consider what's really important in it." Lisabeth said softly before glancing down the sidewalk towards Elijah's retreating form. "Lije is important in mine. Do you understand?"

"Is that your subtle way of telling me you'll kill me if I hurt him?" Katherine questioned.

Lisabeth's lips curled up softly at the corners. "It's my way of telling you that Elijah deserves to be happy and he may not have much time left."

Katherine paused for a moment and then slowly nodded. "I understand."

"Good." Lisabeth said.

Katherine nodded. "Goodbye Lisabeth, Warren."

"Goodbye Katherine." Warren called.

"Goodbye." Lisabeth echoed.

Katherine watched as the two closed the door. It wasn't until they were gone from sight that she turned away, walking down the sidewalk and trying to make sense of the jumble of thoughts and emotions in her brain. She was confused, she was hurt, and most of all she was scared. She stormed right past Elijah on her way to the car and opened up the driver's door on the Porsche before sliding in and slamming the door behind her.

Befuddled, Elijah climbed into the passenger seat of the car. He buckled himself in as Katherine turned the key in the ignition and took off down the road. She didn't seem to know where she was going, but Elijah didn't question her just yet.

The minutes ticked by as Elijah waited for Katherine to speak and still nothing came from Katherine's lips. When he finally realized that Katherine had no intention of speaking Elijah spoke instead.

"Are you angry with me, Katherine?"

"Yes." Katherine replied shortly.

Elijah paused, waiting for her to expand on her answer. When she didn't, he prompted her: "Would you care to tell me why?"

"You should never have brought me there!" Katherine snapped at him.

Elijah gave Katherine a perplexed look. "Why? Lisabeth and Warren did not mistreat you in any way and as I recall you volunteered to accompany me."

"Well I didn't know where you were planning on going!" Katherine barked in reply.

By now Elijah was completely at a loss. "What has you so upset, Katerina? Did Warren say something?"

"No! Yes! I don't know!" Katherine replied, frustration evident in her voice.

"Would you please just _talk to me_, Katerina?" Elijah implored pleadingly.

That was it, the straw that broke the camel's back. Katherine swerved the Porsche off to the side of the road and slammed on the breaks before tossing it into park and climbing out of the car, not even bothering to pull the keys from the ignition. Elijah scrambled out after her, trying to keep up.

"**Katerina!**" He barked forcefully as she started walking down the road.

Katherine whirled on him with fire in her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, **that is not my God damned name?**"

Elijah's temper flared and before Katherine could escape he used his superior speed to appear in front of her and grasp her by the arms. "Yes, it is, and I am getting tired of these games, Katerina! Now tell me what the hell is going on!"

Katherine lashed out at him, throwing her weight backwards to try and pull herself out of his grasp as she pounded on his chest with her fists. "Just leave me alone! I don't have to tell you anything!"

Elijah stood unmoving as Katherine wailed on him, refusing to relinquish his hold on her. "This time you do." He stated forcefully.

"Fine! You want to know what's wrong? My life is falling apart! I've been hunted by your God damned brother for hundreds of years and now that he has stopped I don't know what the hell to do! I've alienated everyone I ever loved just to keep on living and now I am completely and utterly alone. Elena was hunted because of _me_. The last living member of my bloodline can't stand me because I used her to keep myself alive. Stefan and Damon hate me for abandoning them and turning on Elena. And you..." Katherine shook her head softly and looked down to try to hide the tears that were welling in her eyes.

"I what, Katherine?" Elijah demanded.

"You just had to show me that I've been deluding myself into thinking that real love doesn't exist! How am I supposed to survive now, Elijah? How am I supposed to go on knowing that love _does _exist and that I've fucked it up at every turn? How am I supposed to watch all these people sacrifice themselves for each other knowing that there's not a damned person in the world who would do the same for me? I've done it all wrong, Elijah! I've ruined everything and now I'm going to die alone."

Elijah frowned and lifted one hand from Katherine's arm, moving to cup her cheek instead. "I won't let you die alone, Katerina. You're wrong; I would sacrifice myself for you."

Katherine shook her head emphatically. "I don't want you to, Elijah. I don't deserve it. I've been a horrible person. I ruined so many lives just so that I could keep on living, and not just the lives of strangers; I hurt people that I loved and people that loved me in return. I deserve to die alone."

"Katerina," Elijah said her name longingly, his voice filled with empathetic pain. "If you did wrong then it is my fault. I should have stood up to Klaus years ago. I should have openly defied him instead of letting you think that I had betrayed you to him. I should have protected you and I didn't. Anything you did after was because of my failure."

Katherine shook her head softly. "You didn't make me use Stefan and Damon. You didn't make me turn them. You didn't make me have a child out of wedlock who suffered for my indiscretions, a child whose descendant I then betrayed to save my own life."

Elijah drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Perhaps not, but if I had been there to protect you as I should have none of that would have been necessary. We share the blame, Katerina."

Katherine looked up at him from beneath tear laden lashes. "You can't love me, Elijah."

"Why not?" Elijah questioned.

"Because if you do, you'll die. Everyone I have ever loved has died. Everything I touch turns to ash." Katherine whispered softly.

Elijah shook his head. "That's not true, Katerina."

"Isn't it?" Katherine asked.

"No." Elijah replied. "Stefan and Damon are alive because of you. Damon is in love with Elena and I dare say that Stefan and Rebekah are picking back up where they left off. Elena is a beautiful, intelligent young woman who has eternity to grow into the amazing creature I know that she will come to be; you couldn't ask for more in a descendant and I know that if you try she will let you into her life. How many of our kind do you know that are lucky enough to have a child that they know? And make no mistake, Katherine, no matter how many generations removed she may be, Elena is still your child. You have been blessed with a family that will stay with you throughout the endless years. You have ruined _nothing_. You have made mistakes, yes, but so have we all. Damon, Stefan, Elena...they will all forgive you, but you have to give them the chance. You have to forgive yourself."

Tears leaked past Katherine's lashes and trailed down her cheeks in hot streaks. "I don't know if I can."

"You can." Elijah assured her. "We'll get through this together."

"And if we don't?" Katherine asked.

"Then we'll share the afterlife together." Elijah promised.

"Elijah...I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you. I was so blind...everything you did for me..." The shine of tears remained in Katherine's eyes as small droplets decorated her dark lashes, shining like diamonds in the moonlight.

"Shh," Elijah silenced her. "You don't have to apologize. The fault was mine. If I had been honest, if I hadn't hidden my feelings behind a mask of decorum..." Elijah shook his head softly.

"I'm afraid, Elijah." Katherine admitted in a trembling voice. "I've run for so long...what if I can't do it? What if I can't stand and fight? I've always been a coward."

"You have never been a coward, Katherine. You are the bravest, strongest creature I have ever known. You do what needs to be done, always. I know you, Katherine. When the moment comes you won't hesitate; you will stand and fight with the rest of us." Elijah said with complete certainty.

"But we're going to lose." Katherine said in a choked voice.

"Perhaps," Elijah admitted. "But if we do, we'll do so together."

"What if God can't forgive me?" Katherine asked in a choked whisper.

Elijah smirked softly and shook his head. "Your God is different than mine, Katerina, but from what I understand he forgives everything, does he not?"

Katherine nodded softly.

"Then that is your answer. I promise you, Katerina, I won't leave you again. I won't fail you this time. Whether we live or die, we'll be together." Elijah promised as he stroked his fingers down Katherine's cheek.

"No." Katherine demanded forcefully. "If I die...you have to keep living as long as you can, Elijah, for Lisabeth and Warren and everyone else out there."

"Katherine," Elijah started.

Katherine shook her head softly. "This is non-negotiable, Elijah. I've been too selfish. I can't deny others their chance at happiness just to have mine."

Elijah frowned at her. "You would have me live on endlessly without you?"

"I would have you look after my daughter." Katherine replied. "God knows I have done a poor job at doing it myself. You are right; Elena is my child, no matter how far removed she may be. She is my blood and she needs somebody to look out for her. If I'm not around to do it then you must do it for me."

Elijah's frown deepened, but he slowly nodded. "I will protect her, Katherine, I promise."

Katherine smiled. "I know you will. You have always been a man of your word."

"But you must make me a promise in return." Elijah stipulated.

"And what is that?" Katherine asked as she peered up at him curiously.

"If we both live through this you must marry me." Elijah replied.

Katherine's eyes widened momentarily. "Surely you're joking."

Elijah shook his head softly. "I'm not."

"That's not much of a marriage proposal." Katherine said with a frown.

Elijah chuckled. "I will propose properly when the time is right, but I know you, Katherine. You will avoid it like the plague, not because you don't desire to be married, but because you fear that you are inadequate or damaged in some way. So, promise me: if we both survive this then when the time is right and I ask for your hand you will give your consent."

Katherine shook her head softly. "I am not meant to be a wife."

"Katerina..." Elijah growled threateningly.

"But...I will promise to consider it...when the time is right." Katherine hastened to add.

Elijah paused for a moment, seeming to consider, and then slowly nodded. "That will do...for now."

Katherine gave Elijah a coquettish smile. "Shall we seal our deal with a handshake?" She asked teasingly.

Elijah didn't bother to reply; he simply wrapped her up in his arms and brought his mouth down to hers. His lips pressed against hers hungrily as he gathered her small body against his own, relishing the feel of her supple curves melding against his. He had spent so many years imagining this one perfect moment: the moment when Katherine would finally be his. For so many years he had watched her, longed for her even as she pursued and was pursued by other men. He had never been able to have her, not until now. It was bitter irony that just as he was finally getting what he had always desired it looked like there was a good probability he would lose his own life, but if the end came then he was thankful that at least he could have her for this time.

Katherine's knees nearly buckled from underneath her at the heat and passion in Elijah's kiss. He was always so quiet and reserved, she had never imagined the depth of his feelings for, but now...now she knew, and she regretted all the stupid decisions that she had made that had kept them apart for so long. A part of her knew that this was the way it had to be; that if things had happened differently Damon and Stefan would have died as humans and things would not have worked out as they were meant to, but that didn't make it any less bittersweet. She had been looking for love and safety for so long and all the time it had been right there in front of her. But no matter how much she might regret their time apart, Katherine was grateful for this. His kiss felt like coming home. For the first time in more years than she could count Katherine felt content; like no matter what happened, everything would be alright, because she knew that Elijah would make it alright.

Their lips crushed together as their tongues twined in a heated and passionate dance. Katherine's arms came to wrap around Elijah's neck as his arms curled around her protectively and possessively, holding her to him with almost crushing force and clinging to her as if he would never let her go. He felt the icy layer of propriety that he had built around himself melting with every second that her mouth was pressed against his and he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that losing her would kill him just as surely as his mother's blasted stake.

Anger flared in him at the thought that Katherine was in danger just as much as he and his grip tightened on her as his kiss became more forceful. Damn the witches for trying to take her from him; he would kill them all, slowly and painfully. Katherine gave a small whimpering sound and Elijah immediately released her, afraid that he had hurt her inadvertently.

"I'm sorry." Elijah apologized.

Katherine blinked, looking a little dumbfounded. After a moment she shook her head softly. "What are you sorry about?"

Elijah frowned. "I thought I hurt you."

Katherine laughed at him, a real laugh that lit up her face and made her eyes twinkle mirthfully. "You didn't hurt me." Katherine promised.

Elijah's shoulders relaxed as if a weight had been lifted off of them. "Good. I'm sorry, I just started thinking about the fact that the witches might hurt you and..." He shook his head softly, his hands curling into fists and his knuckles turning white.

Katherine smiled and moved to place a gentle hand on his cheek. "Everything will be okay, Elijah."

Elijah smiled softly in return and lifted his gaze to meet Katherine's. "Since when did you become such an optimist?"

Katherine chuckled dryly. "Since a man that I love very much told me that we'll be together no matter what."

Elijah's eyes widened in surprise. "Katherine..."

"Yes, I love you, Elijah." Katherine said, saving him the trouble of having to ask. "I love you, and I'm sorry it took me this long to figure out what I should have known all along."

"What's that?" Elijah asked curiously.

"That the reason I could never find a home was because it was always with you." Katherine replied simply.

"Katherine, I love you. I always have." Elijah said as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I know." Katherine said, swallowing harshly as she fought back more tears. "Now let's get going. I have a family to save."

Elijah smiled faintly. "_We _have a family to save."

Katherine nodded in agreement. "_We_ have a family to save."

They shared one last stolen kiss, their lips pressing together tenderly and lingering, reluctant to separate, but finally they drew apart. Katherine moved to her side of the car and Elijah moved around to his. Once Katherine was back behind the wheel and they were both situated Katherine looked to him.

"So...where to now?" She asked curiously.

"Home," Elijah replied, the faintest hint of a smile lingering upon his lips. "I think it's time for us to go home."

The ghost of a smile stole across Katherine's face as she offered a nod to Elijah's words. "I think you're right."

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**Author's Note: **That's it, ladies and gentlemen, chapter 36! I'm sorry that it took so long! I'll try to update more frequently; hopefully life will cooperate. u_u I hope you enjoyed it and as always reviews are appreciated!


	37. One Day as a Lion

**Author's Note: **Getting a paycheck = Good. Not having time to write = Bad. I apologize for the slow updates guys; I'm working as hard as I can to keep updating quickly, but bear with me! My part time job has been working me full time hours, which is good for my wallet but bad for the story. I still love you guys though! :D And because I love you, this is going to be a Delena chapter. Not promising any lemons, but I'll try to sneak some more of those in soon. ;)

I still don't own The Vampire Diaries, 'cuz if I did I'd be a full time writer and my updates would be daily once again! D: No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 37: One Day as a Lion**

By the time the plane landed in Miami it was fully dark. The lights of the city twinkled in the distance, drawing Elena's attention, but only for a moment. There were a million things to see and Elena felt slightly overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle surrounding her. Miami's terminal was ridiculously busy, even at nine o'clock at night. All around Elena people were busily rushing to their destinations. Business men and women in suits talked in rapid-fire over their Bluetooth headsets while dragging their TSA regulation compliant carry-on luggage behind them. A group of girls that looked to be about Elena's age were peering at signs and trying to figure out where they had to go to collect their luggage. A mother and father were trying to keep their eyes on their children while juggling luggage, looking a bit harried and completely lost. And in the middle of it all there was Elena, staring at the various people and trying to ignore the sound of their beating hearts while a part of her looked on each of them with envy.

"Elena." Damon's voice interrupted her reverie, making her look up at him with her doe-brown eyes. "Come on, the exit's this way." He held out his hand to her in offering. Elena placed her hand in his slowly, sparing one last look around her before starting to move forward with him.

"Do you ever..." Elena began before trailing off, not sure how to finish her sentence.

"Wish I was like them?" Damon finished for her. "I used to." He replied.

"But you don't anymore?" Elena questioned curiously.

Damon's lips pressed into a thin line and his eyebrows knitted together as he considered Elena's question, giving it the thought that it deserved. "There are some things that I envy," Damon finally replied, "But honestly, no. I like what I am. I like knowing that I have time to do everything I want to do in my life. I like watching the world change and grow. And I like being able to protect you." Damon looked over her with a gentle, loving gaze. "It's not an easy task, you know."

Elena gave a wry laugh and shook her head. "No, I suppose it's not."

Damon gave her a small grin. "Look at the bright side: at least you're not being hunted because you're the doppelganger anymore."

Elena smirked at Damon in return. "No, now I'm being hunted because I'm a vampire."

Damon shrugged his shoulders softly. "It's a fact of life; that's why we hide what we are: it's safer that way. You'll get used to it."

"I'm already used to it; that's what scares me. I'm tired of being hunted, Damon." Elena's shoulders slumped and for a moment Damon could see defeat in her eyes. He frowned and stopped where he stood, pulling Elena to him and grasping her by the arms as he leaned down to look into her eyes.

"Don't do that." Damon demanded.

"Do what?" Elena asked with genuine confusion.

"Give up. We are going to get through this, Elena. I have gone through too much to get you just to lose you now. We are going to fight and we are going to win, do you understand? There is no other option." Damon's voice was vehement as his blue eyes bored down into hers, demanding her compliance.

Elena peered up at him for a moment, surprised by the force of his certainty. "How do you do that?" She questioned.

"Do what?" It was Damon's turn to ask.

"Stay so strong? Have such certainty?" Elena replied.

Damon smiled and reached out to gently brush the backs of his fingers along her cheek. "I learned it from this girl I know."

Elena gave a small smile. "Oh?" She questioned.

Damon nodded. "You'd like her. She's completely crazy. Saw the good in me when nobody else did. She even stood up to a crazy vampire and a judgy witch to save my life on a couple of occasions."

"Sounds like quite a girl." Elena replied, her lips curling upwards mirthfully.

"Oh, she is." Damon replied as he leaned down to brush his lips gently against hers.

The world seemed to fade away for a moment as their lips pressed together, soft and gentle and poignantly sweet. Damon's tongue flickered gently along her mouth and Elena parted her lips softly, granting Damon access to her mouth. He wasted no time in taking advantage of the access, dipping his tongue into her mouth and gently caressing her tongue with his own.

How long the kiss might have lasted was unclear, because it was soon interrupted by a careless traveler whose duffel bag nailed both Elena and Damon, jostling them apart. Damon snarled in frustration as Elena burst into a laugh. The sweetness of the sound calmed the beast inside of Damon, making him turn his attention back to Elena as a gentle smile found its way onto his face.

"Now that's the girl I know and love." Damon said as he cupped Elena's cheek gently in his hand.

"I try." Elena said as she peered up at Damon from beneath her lashes. "Do you really think we can win this?" She questioned.

"I think that I would move heaven and Earth to keep you safe, Elena." He replied sincerely. "And this is hardly the first time we've faced insurmountable odds and come out the other side; so yes, I think we can win this."

"I love you, Damon. You know that, right?" Elena asked as she placed her hand against his cheek in return.

Damon nuzzled his cheek against Elena's hand and looked at her with his piercing blue eyes. "I do, and that more than anything makes me believe we can win."

"Why's that?" Elena asked curiously.

"Because it proves miracles really do happen." Damon said with a smirk.

Elena rolled her eyes at him even as she blushed embarrassedly. "Now you're just being cheesy."

Damon grinned wickedly. "Why Elena Gilbert, are you embarrassed by my honesty?"

"_That _is not honesty, it is hyperbole." Elena replied, her cheeks still reddened.

"It is _complete _honesty, though I have to say I find it ridiculously endearing that you're embarrassed." Damon replied as he feathered soft kisses across her cheeks and her forehead.

"Alright, alright, enough! Don't we have someplace we need to be?" Elena interjected, trying to stop this line of conversation before she turned as red as a tomato.

Damon sighed and reluctantly stepped away from Elena as he wound his fingers through hers once again. "Sadly we do. Come on, let's get going." He tugged her forward once again, leading her towards an escalator that was heading down to one of the lower levels.

As they approached the end of the escalator there were a few people standing around with signs, obviously waiting to transport businessmen and other important figures. Damon groaned as he saw one of the signs and rolled his eyes. "I guess that's our ride."

Elena looked around, clearly perplexed. "Where?"

Damon pointed towards a sharply dressed young man in a suit that was so well fit it could only be custom tailored. "There."

"But that says Passerotto, not Salvatore." Elena protested in confusion.

"It's Lia's nickname for me." Damon explained.

"What does it mean?" Elena questioned.

"Sparrow." Damon replied.

Elena's eyebrows crept upwards as a bemused smirk curled across her lips. "Oh I'm going to have so much fun finding out about this."

Damon looked down his nose at her. "You just remember that when I go through all of your things and find your embarrassing baby photos."

"Good luck with that one." Elena said smugly.

"Oh it will happen." Damon promised as he sauntered up to the sharply dressed chauffeur.

"Mr. Salvatore?" The young man questioned.

"That'd be me." Damon replied.

The man nodded as he lowered the sign he had been holding and turned to address Elena. "My name is Giovanni, but you may call me Gio." He paused and looked between them, making it clear that he was addressing them both. "If you will follow me please, I will take you directly to Mr. and Mrs. Sapienti. Do you have any baggage that you need to collect?"

Damon shook his head softly. "No. We're baggage free."

Elena snorted. "Now that's a lie if I ever heard one."

Damon smirked a bit and shook his head at her. Gio cracked a grin as well before speaking again. "In that case, we can proceed directly to the car. If you will prepare a list for me I will be more than happy to collect whatever you need once I have dropped you off at the estate. Unfortunately the shops at Bal Harbour are closed for the evening, but Ms. Sapienti had me purchase a few things for you and Ms. Gilbert to use this evening and I will be happy to take you in the morning to purchase whatever other wardrobe items you may need. Mrs. Sapienti tells me that the sunlight isn't a problem for you?"

Damon nodded. "That's correct."

Elena's eyes flew open wide as she overheard Gio's question. "He knows about us?" Elena hissed at Damon beneath her breath.

Gio chuckled and interceded on his own behalf. "My family has worked for Mr. and Mrs. Sapienti for the past six generations, Ms. Gilbert. I am well aware of Mr. Salvatore's unique situation, as well as your own."

This time it was Damon's turn to look surprised. "How do you know her name?" He questioned Giovanni.

Giovanni smiled nervously, doing his best not to say anything that could be misconstrued by Damon. "That would be Mrs. Sapienti's doing, Mr. Salvatore. When she learned that you were bringing a girl with you to visit she immediately did all she could to learn who it was that you were bringing with you. You know that she's always quite concerned about you."

Damon rolled his eyes. "I should have known she wouldn't let it be a surprise. And you can stop calling me Mr. Salvatore, Gio. You don't need to be so formal."

Gio gave Damon a boyish smile that made him look a lot younger. Elena's estimation of his age dropped by a couple of years and she could almost see the way he must have looked as a young boy.

"Sorry, Damon. Lia told me to make sure I treated Ms. Gilbert properly and I haven't seen you in many years." Giovanni explained.

"Elena is just fine, Gio. Damon's right, there's no need to be formal and it's a pleasure to meet you." Elena said with a smile.

"You as well, Ms. Gilbert, I mean, Elena." Gio said with a sheepish grin. "The car's this way. If I don't get you two back soon Lia is going to have my ass, pardon my French, so we better get going." Gio prodded them.

A bubble of laughter escaped Elena's lips. "Oh my, that does sound dire. I suppose we better get going then. Lead the way."

Gio smiled at Elena gratefully and nodded his head before heading towards the parking lot where a sleek, black Maserati Quattroporte was waiting. Elena let out a low whistle as she looked over the car. "And I thought _Damon's _car was excessive."

"My car is a _classic_." Damon defended. "If anyone's car is excessive it's my brother's. My car, on the other hand, is good, old fashioned American muscle."

Elena's lips curled upwards into a grin. "Your attachment to your car is adorable."

Damon lifted his eyebrows questioningly. "Adorable?"

Elena bobbed her head in agreement. "Adorable." She reiterated as she slipped into the backseat of the Maserati.

"That's not emasculating at all." Damon quipped sarcastically as he followed her into the car.

Elena patted him gently on the arm. "I'm sure you'll find a way to get over it."

Gio grinned at the banter between Damon and Elena as he settled into the driver's seat and started the engine of the sleek exotic. "I like her." He said as he looked up into the rearview mirror to meet Damon's eyes.

Damon gave Gio a pointed look and then shook his head. "Double teamed. Great."

Elena beamed triumphantly. "I think it's about time you were double teamed. You and Stefan are always ganging up on me."

Damon snorted. "I don't know what universe you're living in, Elena, but Stefan is always taking your side."

"You know Damon's brother?" Gio interjected, the pitch in his voice showing his curiosity.

"You could say that." Elena replied cryptically, not wanting to explain the whole torrid situation to Gio. She didn't regret her choice to leave Stefan for Damon, but she knew the way it would look to someone else.

"Am I missing something here?" Gio questioned, turning his head for just a moment to look back at Damon.

"Elena was dating Stefan." Damon explained matter-of-factly.

"Damon!" Elena reprimanded him sharply.

Damon's lips curled upwards into an unrepentant grin. "What? You did."

Elena rolled her eyes and gave a huff of irritation. "Yeah, I did, but that doesn't mean you had to tell him!"

"You want me to lie to the poor boy?" Damon questioned, feigning shock.

"I don't want you to lie to him...just to censor the truth." Elena replied hesitantly.

"Censor the truth?" Damon questioned, clearly bemused. "That sounds a lot like lying to me, Elena."

"Oh shut up." Elena replied petulantly.

Gio's laughter trickled back from the front seat. "So how long have you two been married?"

"We're not." Elena replied immediately, looking astounded. "Did he tell you we are?" Elena asked as she gave Damon an accusatory glare.

Damon's grin widened. He was unable to resist the temptation to capitalize on the situation. He scooted closer to Elena and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he leaned in to press his forehead against hers. "Of course I did, snookums. I want everyone to know about our marital bliss."

Elena rolled her eyes at Damon and shoved him playfully away. "Alright, that's more than enough from the peanut gallery."

Gio smiled at Elena in the rearview. "Don't worry, Elena, he didn't tell us anything. I just assumed from the way that you two act that you've been married for some time. You remind me a lot of Lia and Dante, at least when they're not hovering over me like anxious parents."

Elena smiled back at Gio. "Well thank you, I guess, but we've only been together for about a week."

Gio's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "A week? And he's already bringing you to meet Lia and Dante?"

"Well, it's not exactly a social call..." Elena explained hesitantly.

"And we've been together for a lot longer than a week. Elena just didn't want to admit it." Damon added on her behalf.

"I see." Gio responded in a way that showed he clearly didn't understand, but didn't want to pry any further. After a pause he addressed Elena once again. "Well, Damon is a great guy." Gio said with a smile.

"He is." Elena agreed, smiling back at Gio. "So you know Damon? With the sign and the Mr. Salvatore I didn't think you did."

"Sort of." Gio replied. "I met him once or twice when I was a child and I've heard a lot about him from Lia and Dante and even my parents. I haven't seen him in years though; I left home at eighteen, tried the whole college thing like my parents wanted. I was miserable though."

Elena frowned. "Why is that?"

Gio lifted his eyes to meet Elena's gaze in the rearview. "Because I didn't fit in. I spent my childhood knowing that vampires and werewolves and everything else that goes bump in the night is real and then suddenly I get tossed in with a bunch of eighteen year olds whose biggest concern was whether to have pizza or chicken tenders for lunch. People would ask me what my parents did and I had no idea what to say. I'd go out with a girl and she would ask me what I wanted to do after graduation; all I really wanted to do was go back home and work for Lia and Dante, but I could never tell her that. I could never be myself."

Elena fell silent, her eyebrows knitting together and her lips curling downwards. "I'm sorry. I guess that would be hard, having to lie to everyone."

Gio nodded. "It was. You're lucky to have someone that you can share everything with."

"I am." Elena agreed, giving a sidelong glance towards Damon. She always appreciated her friends and her family, but sometimes she took for granted just how lucky she was to have people around her who put up with the craziness in her life. She didn't just have Damon; she had Jeremy, Stefan, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt; a whole group of people who knew exactly who and what she was and loved her still, no matter how much trouble that brought to their doorstep.

Damon smiled softly at Elena, as if he was able to read her thoughts. He reached out and twined his fingers with hers, giving her reassurance with simple, physical contact.

"So what happened?" Elena questioned Gio curiously.

"To me?" Gio questioned. "I got through my freshman and sophomore year, but when it came to my junior year I just couldn't do it anymore. By then I had to pick a major and I just couldn't. I bounced through a few majors, hated every one more than the last until I finally dropped out. I worked odd jobs for a while because I was too embarrassed to go home, but eventually I lost my job to cutbacks and couldn't find any work. When the eviction notice came I called Lia. She asked me what the hell had taken me so long and told me to bring my ass back home and that was that." Gio gave Elena a warm smile. "I always knew where I belonged, I just had to gather up the courage to do what I knew was right for me."

"Were your parents upset?" Elena questioned.

Gio paused for a moment and then nodded. "At first, yes. They were really angry with Lia because they thought she was overstepping her bounds. They wanted me to have an option to do something else, to lead a normal life, but eventually they realized that they couldn't want the normal life for me, I had to want it for myself."

"And you don't?" Elena asked, sounding a little surprised.

Gio shook his head softly. "No, I don't. A normal life means giving up Lia and Dante. A normal life means cutting myself off from my mom and dad. A normal life means lying about who I am every day. What good is a normal life if it means giving up everyone that I love? What type of life would it be if I couldn't just be myself? I tried being normal and I was miserable. I'd rather be myself and be happy."

"I guess that's a good way of looking at things." Elena conceded.

"But you still want a normal life?" Gio questioned.

Elena paused for a moment, looking towards Damon. Damon peered back at her, seeming just as curious about her answer as Gio. After a long silence Elena finally spoke. "I thought I did. Sometimes I still do. I hate the thought that I'll never be a mom; never have neighbors that I've lived next to for twenty years; never go to backyard barbeques or PTA meetings."

Moments of silence ticked by and Damon's lips drew into a frown. He hadn't consciously decided to make Elena into a vampire, but he knew that given the choice he would have chosen to turn her and he wondered, not for the first time, if he had been selfish to consider it, but before he could say anything on the matter Elena started speaking once again.

"But then I think about what life would have been like if I had never met Damon and Stefan...I think about what it would be like to have children with someone else and to grow old and die without all of the people that I love." Elena turned her gaze to Damon and then back to Gio. "When I think about that, I think you're right. No matter how much I might regret the necessity of the sacrifices I've made, no matter how much I miss some of the people I've lost, I wouldn't change anything. A life without Damon and all the other people that I love wouldn't be worth living, no matter how perfect and normal it might be."

Gio nodded and gave a faint smile to Elena. "I'm glad to hear I'm not the only crazy one."

Elena gave a soft, tinkling laugh. "No, you're not alone."

Damon relaxed a little and gave a tentative smile as he reached out to wrap an arm around Elena's shoulders. He drew her into him protectively and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to the top of her head. The rich scent of her shampoo filled his nostrils, helping him to relax, but a part of him remained burdened. He loved Elena and the thought that he couldn't give her everything she wanted made him ache in a way that he hadn't felt in quite some time.

Elena frowned at Damon's reaction. She couldn't put her finger on why, but she felt like he was upset. While she wanted to know what had caused his sudden melancholy, Elena dared not ask; Damon was always very reserved and she didn't want to hurt him further by asking him to expose his feelings in front of Gio.

"We're here." Gio announced as they pulled up in front of a pair of ornate gates made of solid brass. He rolled down his window and reached out to key in a number on a keypad.

As soon as Gio entered the combination the gates began to roll open automatically, allowing Elena her first glimpse at Lia and Dante's home. Like the Mikaelson mansion it was opulant, but in a completely different way. While the Mikaelson home seemed designed to make everyone aware of the owners' affluence and superiority, this home seemed warm and inviting. The gargantuan palm trees and perfectly tended landscape accented the Italian style villa that rested in the center of the property, hiding its true expanse and making it seem cozy when in truth it was more mansion than home.

"There are 8 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms and 3 half-baths. Some of those are in the guest house and the staff house, of course. Oh...and there's a six car garage." Gio explained as he pressed a button that raised the garage doors, allowing Elena to see the impressive array of vehicles contained within. With a single glance she saw logos for Lamborghini and Ferrari.

"I'm not used to this." Elena stated matter-of-factly.

"That's because Lamborghinis draw too much attention in a place like Mystic Falls." Damon explained. "On Miami Beach driving a sedan makes you the odd one out. The key to surviving is blending and Lia is very, very good at surviving."

Elena nodded softly as Gio pulled the car into the garage and put it into park before turning off the engine. As the garage door started to slide closed once again Damon exited the car and Elena followed suit. Gio headed towards the door that led into the house, but Damon stopped and looked at one of the cars rather than following him. "This is new." He commented.

"They're all new." Elena observed, clearly wondering what his point was.

"Yes, it's new. Now keep your hands off of it. That is not your toy." A bemused female voice said from the doorway.

Elena looked up in surprise to see a small, but beautiful woman standing there. She was barely five feet tall, if that, but her rounded hips and generous bust made it impossible to mistake her for anything less than a woman. Elena would have guessed her to be in her mid- to late twenties when she was turned, because her face held the refined bone structure of a woman rather than the girlishness of a teenager. Her long, black hair fell around her face in unruly curls and waves and a twinkle of mischief sparkled in her hazel colored eyes.

"Lia," Damon said; it was only one word, but it held a wealth of emotion that was impossible for Elena to miss.

"Passerotto," Lia greeted him in return. Before Elena could blink Damon had Lia enveloped in a hug that probably would have crushed a human. Lia simply laughed and hugged Damon in return. "I missed you too, passerotto, but if you don't let me go I'm afraid your little passerotta is going to get jealous."

Damon reluctantly released Lia, who immediately extended a hand towards Elena. "Come here, passerotta, and let me see the little bird who has stolen my passerotto's heart."

Elena smiled sheepishly and moved to take Lia's hand. Lia looked her over for a moment, assessing her, and then finally nodded. "You look like your ancestor, but you are not like her, passerotta. Katherine is a good woman at heart, but she was never meant to be Damon's passerotta. I think you are."

Elena looked at Damon for a moment, clearly confused, and then looked back at Lia in confusion. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Damon told me that passerotto means sparrow, but what do you mean when you say that I am meant to be Damon's _passerotta_?"

Lia smiled affectionately at Elena. "Damon has always been my little passerotto; my sparrow. Do you know anything about sparrows?"

Elena shook her head softly.

"Well then, passerotta, we must educate you." Lia said as she wound her arm through Elena's, drawing her inside the house and leaving Damon and Gio to their own devices. "The sparrow has many meanings. Sailors like our passerotto used to wear it as a tattoo to bring them good luck so that they might return home safely once again. Sparrows also represent freedom, which our little passerotto is always trying to find. Most importantly, the sparrow represents true love, because sparrows mate for life. When I found my passerotto he was like a wounded bird, looking for his lost love, but I knew that he hadn't found her yet. He never gave up searching though, and now he has found you: his passerotta."

"So a passerotta is...?" Elena prompted.

"A female sparrow, of course. You, my little passerotta, are Damon's one and only true mate, the passerotta to his passerotto. You belong to him just as I belong to Dante."

"I hear you talking about me, tesorino." Came a masculine voice from somewhere inside the house; the area was so large that Elena couldn't pinpoint the location. For the first time since she had stepped inside the house Elena realized that the inside was just as impressive as the outside. Bronze statues and antique mahogany furniture sat on marble floors; frescos were painted upon the ceiling that was supported by marble pillars; paintings dating back hundreds of years adorned every wall and ornate chandeliers bathed the foyer in warm light.

"I always talk about you, caro." Lia replied sweetly as she tugged Elena through the foyer and into the kitchen where Dante was waiting for them. At about five-and-a-half feet Dante was short by modern standards, but he was still exceptionally handsome. His sandy blonde hair was cut just above the top of his collar; long enough that there was still plenty for someone to run their hands through, but short enough that it didn't look unkempt. It had been swept back from his face artfully with the exception of one strand that fell carelessly into his blue-grey eyes as he bent over to tend to the meal that he was cooking.

Elena sniffed the air and raised an eyebrow curiously. "Spaghetti and meatballs?"

Dante looked up at Elena with a smirk. "You have something against spaghetti and meatballs?"

Elena shook her head vehemently, looking disturbed at the thought that she might have offended Dante. "No, I love spaghetti and meatballs, but isn't it a little...cliché?" She ventured tentatively.

"You're calling my meal cliché?" Dante taunted her, doing his best to look entirely serious.

"Not at all! I didn't mean it like that! I just meant..." Elena stammered to defend herself.

Halfway through Elena's fumbling attempts to defend herself Damon burst into laughter behind her. "Dante, stop teasing her. She's going to have a heart attack." Damon reprimanded him as he moved to steal one of the meatballs that were cooling nearby.

Lia reached out to smack Damon's hand away in reprimand. "You wait until dinner is served."

Damon rolled his eyes at Lia. "Fine," he relented.

While Lia and Damon were both preoccupied Elena snuck in and stole a meatball from the tray, quickly popping it into her mouth. Dante looked up at her, smirked, and then went back to cooking without a word.

A second later Damon looked down and noticed that the tray was one meatball short. His eyes immediately went to Elena, who stopped mid-chew and gave Damon the best innocent look that she could muster.

Damon shook his head softly and simply chuckled at the sight. "Let me guess, you're not going to reprimand her?" He asked Lia, but it was Dante that responded.

"And scold such a beautiful woman? Come now, Damon, I taught you better than that." Dante replied as Elena swallowed down the last of the evidence.

"You're cooking?" Gio asked as he came into the kitchen. He moved to take a meatball and like Damon had his hand slapped away by Lia.

"I am, as is your mother, Gio. If you want dinner you better go eat with her." Dante replied. "And don't forget to get Damon and Elena's things."

"Oh! That's right, you needed a list." Elena remembered suddenly. When she started looking around futilely for a pen and paper Lia assisted her, offering up both. Elena quickly scribbled a few items on the paper and handed it off to Damon, who did the same before holding the paper out towards Gio.

Gio groaned and muttered some choice words beneath his breath as he snatched the list from Damon's hand and turned to walk out of the kitchen.

"That's going to be Jeremy in ten years, isn't it?" Elena asked Damon.

"Most likely." Damon agreed, looking amused.

"Jeremy is your brother?" Dante inquired politely.

Elena nodded. "Yeah."

Dante smiled. "Don't worry, bella, there are far worse fates than having a brother who is like Gio."

Elena nodded. "He seems like a nice guy."

"Six words you never want a girl to say about you." Damon quipped sarcastically.

Lia rolled her eyes at Damon and then smiled affectionately towards Elena. "Gio is still finding his place in the world, but he is a good man. Much like our beloved passerotto, though it seems that Damon has finally found where he belongs."

"And it only took me a century and a half." Damon replied sarcastically.

"A century and a half is not so long." Dante replied.

"That's because you're older than dirt." Damon teased him.

"And yet I'm still more attractive than you." Dante taunted in return.

"There goes the senility kicking in." Damon snapped back wittily.

"Alright, children," Lia chided them teasingly. "That is enough. Damon, go set the table."

Elena couldn't help but to giggle. "She really does act like your mother."

Damon's eyes darkened for a moment and he gave a small nod. "She does." He said longingly.

Elena frowned. "I'm sorry. I know how much it hurts to lose your mother."

Damon nodded and kissed the top of Elena's head. "I know. I'm sorry I couldn't save yours. There's so much about that night that I regret..."

Elena shook her head softly. "Don't. Things happened the way they did for a reason. It's sad that my mom and dad died, but if they hadn't then things wouldn't have worked out the way they were supposed to."

Damon gave Elena a wistful smile. "I suppose you're right, but you know if I could change it I would."

Elena nodded. "I know."

Damon forced a smile onto his face to lighten the mood and reached out to grab Elena around the waist. She squeaked as he tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"If I have to set the table you have to help." Damon explained as he carried her towards the cabinet that contained the dishes.

"And how am I supposed to help while I'm tossed over your shoulder?" Elena questioned.

Damon rolled his eyes and sat her back down on her feet. "Happy now?"

Elena bobbed her head affirmatively.

Damon shook his head and grabbed several plates and napkins which he handed off to Elena before grabbing the glasses and silverware himself and leading her into the dining room. The table there was huge- large enough to seat eight- but there were four placemats already placed at one end of the table that clearly marked where they were to be seated. Elena placed a plate at each spot and delicately folded the napkins so that they sat neatly on the plates as Damon came behind her and completed each place setting with a glass and utensils. While they worked Elena admired the courtyard beyond the dining room windows and examined the ornate frescos on the dining room walls.

"Their house is amazing." Elena commented offhandedly, thinking aloud more than anything.

Damon nodded his head in agreement. "It is. I think Lia misses Italy at times; this house is her way of bringing a bit of Italy with her."

Elena smiled softly. "That's a nice thought. I suppose it must be hard to leave your home behind."

"I never leave my home behind." Lia interrupted cheerfully as she swept into the room, carrying a plate of bruschetta and a bottle of wine.

Elena blushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be impertinent."

Lia shook her head softly. "Don't be silly; you weren't being impertinent, just thoughtful. You're right, the travelling does get old at times, but the important thing is never where you are, it's who you're with. Why do you think I came to America?"

"The sunny beaches?" Damon suggested with an impudent grin.

Lia rolled her eyes at him. "Not all of us were lucky enough to have a witch make us a ring that allows us to walk in the light."

Elena's eyes flew open wide. "You mean you haven't seen the sun?"

"In over six centuries, no." Lia said a little sadly. "Television is an amazing invention though; I can watch the sun rise at least, even if I can't feel the warmth of it on my skin."

Elena frowned and fingered the ring that Bonnie had given her nervously. "I'm sorry, Lia. If we survive through this I promise we'll get you and Dante a ring that will let you walk in the light."

"If we survive through this?" Dante questioned skeptically, pausing as he walked into the room, his hands still holding a serving bowl full of spaghetti and meatballs.

Elena paused and bit down on her lip nervously, realizing the error of her words. She looked towards Damon nervously, hoping that he could help her to fill the hole that she had dug.

Damon breathed a soft sigh and gestured to the table. "We may as well sit and eat. We wouldn't want your hard work to go to waste."

Dante looked down at the food as if just realizing that he was still holding it and then slowly nodded. "You're right about that." Dante said with a small smile. "Besides, bad news always goes down better with food."

Damon laughed. "Typical Italian; any excuse to eat is a good excuse."

Elena smiled nervously. "I've never had real Italian spaghetti and meatballs."

Lia gave a little giggle that she quickly stifled. Elena frowned and looked up at Damon. "I said something stupid, didn't I?"

Lia shook her head emphatically. "Oh no, Elena, you didn't. Forgive me, I didn't mean to be rude, it just amused me."

"Spaghetti and meatballs is actually an American invention." Damon explained.

"We wanted you to feel at home." Dante elaborated.

Elena smiled sheepishly. "Oh...well in that case, thank you."

Damon leaned down and kissed Elena on the cheek. "Come on, let's eat."

Elena nodded and took a seat. Damon wasted no time sitting beside her. Across the table Lia and Dante quickly followed suit and soon food was being passed around and drinks were being poured as if it was a normal family dinner.

"Do you always eat normal food?" Elena questioned curiously as food was being distributed.

"Most nights," Dante replied politely. "Food is a large part of the Italian culture. We would have been suspected immediately if we didn't eat in Italy, so it has become a habit. Besides, eating still holds the same pleasure that it did for us when we were human, even if it doesn't sustain us."

Elena nodded. "I know. I find myself getting hungry at times even though I know I don't need to eat."

Lia smiled warmly at Elena. "That will happen for quite some time. Your mind still clings to human habits. For now you will still feel as if you need to eat, sleep and breathe like a normal human. Don't worry though; it helps you to blend with society. It's an asset, really."

"It doesn't seem like much of an asset when we're so short on time." Elena replied somewhat glumly.

"And why is it that we're short on time?" Dante asked, redirecting the conversation to the matter at hand.

"You know, vampire genocide, witches wanting to make us extinct, same old, same old." Damon replied flippantly.

Elena didn't bother to chide him for his insensitive response; she'd learned by now that sarcasm was just Damon's way of dealing with things. She did, however, do her best to redirect him. "I think that they might appreciate a more thorough explanation, Damon."

Damon gave an exaggerated sigh. "But it's such a boring story." He whined.

"Damon." Elena said in a threatening voice.

Damon rolled his eyes and gave a dismissive wave. "Fine, long story short it seems that it was a witch who made vampires; go figure. She got tired of the werewolves killing her offspring, so she made them all immortal, then she got all angst-ridden and decided that it was unnatural for her children to live forever and decided to kill them all and exterminate the vampire race along with them. When we stopped mommy dearest from offing her children she got huffy and rallied the witches on the other side, so now a bunch of dead witches are teaming up with a bunch of living witches who just happen to be vampire hunters and coming after all of the originals with an indestructible original killing stake." Damon paused and looked to Elena. "Happy?"

"Thrilled." Elena drawled sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she twirled a strand of spaghetti around her fork.

"Well…Damon's perpetual flippant tone aside, that sounds highly unpleasant." Dante replied.

"So if they kill the originals, they kill us?" Lia questioned.

Damon nodded. "Yep, as it turns out when the first vampire of a line dies, so do the rest of the vampires in that line. So far we're already one line down."

"The witches killed an original?" Dante asked, alarmed.

"Not exactly." Damon hedged.

Lia lifted an eyebrow curiously towards him and with an exasperated sigh Damon explained. "We killed him. We were going to kill all of the originals until we found out that killing them meant killing their whole line."

Lia gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "Well at least you didn't kill yourself in the process."

Damon nodded. "Thankfully, but now we have to protect the originals, which isn't an easy task. All it will take is a few lucky blows and we can say goodbye to the entirety of the vampire race."

"So you want us to come and help you fight these witches; to protect the originals." Dante surmised.

Damon paused for a moment, looking pensive. Slowly he nodded. "Yes. We need your help. If we don't stand together then chances are we'll all die alone. I'm sorry to ask you to put yourself in danger, but I don't see any other way."

Dante gave a soft chuckle. "You act like this is my first war, Damon."

Damon gave Dante a serious look. "No, I act like we both know exactly what war means."

Dante sobered and slowly nodded. "We do."

Silence fell over the dinner table for a moment. Only the sound of forks tapping gently against plates broke the hush until finally Lia spoke. "Meglio un giorno da leone che cento da pecora. Ogni bel gioco dura poco."

Damon smiled and nodded in agreement. "Well said."

Dante nodded as well. Elena looked to Lia, perplexed.

"Better one day as a lion than a hundred as a sheep. Every good game lasts a short while." Lia translated for her. "Or as you Americans would put it: If I'm going to go down, it may as well be fighting."

Dante nodded. "Agreed."

Elena smiled tentatively and nodded. "You're right."

Damon breathed in a deep breath and then let it out in a slow exhalation as he lifted his wine glass. "Well then, shall we have a toast?"

Dante smiled and nodded. "To the lions."

"To the lions." The others echoed as they lifted their glasses together, letting the tinkling of glasses fill the room.

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**Author's Note: **I'm sorry this took so long. D: I really am doing my best guys. Bear with me! I'm hoping things will calm down soon and I can post more quickly. Hope you enjoyed it and as always reviews are appreciated. :)


	38. Flying Lessons

**Author's Note: **First let me apologize for the long period with no updates. I know it has been quite some time since my last chapter. Second, allow me to explain the reason for my absence: **I got married!** :D Yes, ladies and gents, after 11 years together Justin and I finally tied the knot. Unfortunately for all of you the short notice on the wedding meant I was quite busy for the past month or so and had no time to write, but now that the wedding is over I'm hoping to get back to writing more frequently and since I have a week off before I start my new job (yes, I got another new job too!) I hope to make up for my absence by writing several chapters this week. I hope you can forgive me for my absence and enjoy the updates. FYI, **this chapter is censored**; I thought you all deserved some lemons after my extended absence. As always, Vampire Diaries belongs to its respective owners and no copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 38: Flying Lessons**

A cool breeze blew in off of the ocean and gently ruffled the long, straight strands of Elena's hair as she stood on the balcony off of the room that Lia and Dante had so generously provided them. Elena's chocolate brown eyes surveyed the expanse of the courtyard below her, taking in the fountains that sparkled in the moonlight and the expertly tended gardens that surrounded them. Though she couldn't see the ocean from their room, she could smell the salt on the air and knew that it could be no more than half a mile away from the property, perhaps even less.

The gentle drum of water that had been coming from the bathroom behind her suddenly ceased and after a moment or two she sensed rather than heard Damon's presence behind her. Her suspicions were confirmed when two large hands came to rest on either side of hers on the balcony railing and the familiar scent of Damon mixed with the unfamiliar smell of some unknown but expensive soap filled her nostrils.

"You are upset." Damon said, making it a statement rather than a question.

"You were too." Elena reminded him, recalling his sudden melancholy in the car all too clearly.

"I was." Damon agreed.

"Why?" Elena asked.

Damon paused for a long moment, considering how to answer. His head slowly dipped down and Elena could feel his nose brushing along the back of her hair, moving the strands gently against her neck and sending tingles of awareness shooting down her spine. After a moment's hesitation Damon finally spoke.

"I love you, Elena." He stated simply.

Elena waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she finally asked: "And that makes you sad?"

Damon shook his head softly. "No, my love, it makes me happy; happier than I ever thought possible." He paused for a moment and turned his head. The movement of Elena's hair ceased as he stared out over the same landscape that she did, looking at it but not truly seeing it.

"But my happiness shouldn't have come at the expense of your own. It shouldn't have come at the risk of your life. I feel selfish. There was so much that you wanted to do, so many things you wanted to experience, and I denied you that." He concluded in a somber tone, his feelings of guilt weighting his words.

"You didn't deny me anything, Damon. You didn't make me turn." Elena replied.

"But I would have." Damon replied with absolute certainty. No matter how guilty he felt, he knew in his heart that it was true. He could never have given her up.

"To save my life you would have, but you would have given me the chance to do everything in life I wanted first if it had been possible, Damon. I know that." Elena stated with equal certainty.

"Do you?" He asked in reply. "Do you really, Elena? Because I'm not certain I would have. I try to do what is right. I try to be the man you want me to be, the man that you deserve, but when I think about losing you, when I think about giving you up, all of that falls to the wayside. I would do _anything _to keep you, even if that meant going against your wishes..." Damon shook his head softly as he trailed off, lowering his forehead to her shoulder.

Elena's eyes filled with compassion and tenderness as she turned towards him, moving his head from her shoulder so that she could place her hands on either side of his face and look into his eyes.

"Damon," She chided him gently, "Stop this. If there is one thing you shouldn't feel guilty for it is for wanting to keep me with you. Believe me, I would do the same. As much as I love my friends, as much as I love Jeremy, if it came down to a choice..." She paused for a moment. "I'd want to make the noble choice, to save as many as I could, but if it meant sacrificing you...I'm not sure that I could." She confessed quietly.

Damon raised his gaze and peered into her eyes. "That wasn't what you chose before." He replied in a voice strained with hurt. He instantly regretted the words, especially when he saw equal pain reflected back at him from Elena's eyes.

Elena lowered her head for a moment and gave a soft nod. "I know." She replied, her voice barely a whisper. Tears welled to her eyes, concealed by her lowered head. "You have no idea how much I've regretted that choice since then, Damon. I tried to do what I thought was right, but I was very, very wrong."

Damon gave Elena a small, sad smile. "No you weren't."

Elena looked up at him, her confusion making her forget to hide her teary eyes. He reached out to gently brush a tear from her face as she questioned his response. "I wasn't?" She questioned.

Damon shook his head softly. "No. If you hadn't gone back to Stefan you'd still be alive." He swallowed hard, emotion clogging his throat. "And as much as I hate that you were denied the life you wanted, I can't regret having you in this life with me. That one wrong choice made all the right ones possible."

Elena gave him a small smile and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "I thought you felt guilty about denying me the chance to live a normal life?"

Damon nodded. "I do, more often than I care to admit, but I can live with the guilt. I can't live without you."

Elena leaned into him, burying her head against his still damp chest and letting his arms envelop her protectively. She felt one of his hands bury into her hair as his lip pressed tenderly against the top of her head.

"Now, you've asked your questions, it's my turn to ask you: why are you so upset?" Damon murmured against the top of her head.

"I feel guilty too." Elena confessed.

"For making me into a vampire? That was your doppelganger, honey." Damon teased flippantly, trying to get Elena to laugh. Instead she smacked his chest, but as he let out a playful 'ow' he saw the traces of a grin upon her lips.

"No, Damon, for dragging Dante and Lia into all of this." She replied seriously. "They're happy. They have a home, a life, even a sort of family, and I'm putting all of that at risk."

"_You're _not putting any of that at risk, Elena. I am." He reminded her.

Elena gave him a skeptical look. "Does that really matter? The point is that they could lose everything."

"So could we." Damon pointed out.

"Yes, but we don't have a choice in it. Dante and Lia do." Elena rebutted.

"And they have _chosen _to fight. They have as much of a reason to fight as we do, Elena. They are just as much at risk if we lose. Do you think that it would be better to let them live and die ignorant of the danger that they are in?" Damon asked.

Elena frowned at the question and shook her head softly. "No. I just wish we could protect them from it. _Somebody _should get a happy ending in all of this."

Damon reached out to brush his knuckles gently along Elena's cheek. "And you don't think that it should be you." Damon observed matter-of-factly.

Elena frowned and shook her head. "I never said that."

"But you would give your life if it meant sparing Dante and Lia." Damon replied.

Elena paused and frowned, unable to formulate a reply.

"Even if it would mean me dying with you?" Damon pressed.

Elena gave Damon a look of distress. "You know that I don't want you to die."

"You just don't want anyone to die for us." Damon surmised.

"I don't want anyone to die, period. I'm tired of it, Damon. I'm tired of losing everyone I love. I'm ready for the war to be over." Elena confessed, sounding exhausted.

"We could run away." Damon suggested, even though the idea pained him.

Elena looked up at him with a horrified expression. "No! Absolutely not! We can't do that. We have to fight."

Damon smiled at the sudden reemergence of her spirit. "It was only an idea."

Elena frowned at him. "You did that on purpose. You knew that I would never run from a fight and abandon my friends."

Damon gave her an unrepentant grin. "Maybe." He replied cryptically, though the mirthful twinkle in his eyes made it clear that he had been expecting the reaction he had garnered.

"Damon Salvatore, you are the most frustrating man I-" Elena began, but her words were abruptly cut off by the crush of his lips against hers. For a moment Elena gave in, losing herself in the press of Damon's mouth against hers. Her lips parted eagerly for the welcome invasion of his tongue and her body melded against his, her arms twining eagerly around his neck as his fingers fisted tightly in her hair and held her to him.

When they finally parted for air Damon gave her one of his cocky grins. "You were saying, Elena?" He remarked tauntingly.

"Frustrating." Elena murmured by way of response as she captured his lips once again.

"I agree." Damon muttered between kisses as he tugged at the sash that was holding Elena's robe into place. "These clothes are very frustrating."

"Not what I meant." Elena said with a little gasp as Damon drug his teeth along the skin of her neck, making her sigh with pleasure.

"Well it's what I meant." Damon replied matter-of-factly as he finally managed to untie the sash on her robe and yanked it free of the loops that held it in place.

"You can't always just distract me with your body, Damon." Elena reproached him half-heartedly.

"You're right, we should stop." Damon said as he pushed the silky black robe off of Elena's shoulders, making it clear that he had no intention of doing anything of the sort.

"We should." Elena said in return, though the sounds of pleasure she gave made it just as clear that she had no intention of making him stop.

When they were both finally sated Damon reluctantly slid from her body and lifted her off of the rail, letting her down gently onto her feet. He kept one arm wrapped around her to keep her from falling as he started to untie the bonds that held her hands in place behind her back.

"Did I scare you?" He asked, peering down at her with a frown.

"A little," Elena admitted honestly, making Damon frown, "But I trusted you."

Damon smiled at her reassurances as he loosened the knots on the sash and set her free of her bonds. "So you trust me with your life?"

Elena nodded her head. "Of course, Damon."

Damon cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned in to press his lips tenderly against hers. "Then trust me when I say that everything is going to be alright."

Elena smiled sweetly and peered up at him. In spite of the fact that logic defied the statement, she nodded her agreement. "Alright."

Damon smiled back down at her and lifted her gently into his arms, carrying her back into the bedroom. He placed her naked body delicately onto the bed and then tucked her in with the upmost of care.

Elena looked up at him with her doe brown eyes, a small frown creasing her lips. "Aren't you coming to bed?" She questioned him.

"In a little while." He promised her. "Sleep and dream of flying, my little passerotta. I promise I will be here when you wake."

Elena smiled at the term of endearment and nodded, letting her eyes slip closed as sleep drug her under. For the longest time Damon simply watched her, observing each and every single expression on her face and committing it to memory. When he was certain that she was soundly asleep he turned off the light and quietly slipped from the bed, pressing a soft kiss to Elena's cheek before slipping from the room.

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**Author's Note:** That's it for Chapter 38. Hope it was a good one given the wait! I promise I'll do my best to update soon. Until then, much love to all of you!


	39. Trials

**Author's Note: **Hooray, another update! I really am doing my best to update as much as I can. Hopefully I can make up a little for my extended absence. As always no copyright infringement is intended; TVD belongs to its respective owners.

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**Chapter 39: Trials**

Damon walked the halls of Lia and Dante's abode like a ghost, silent and pensive. He didn't bother turning on any lights and did his best to be unobtrusive as he walked through the rooms, barely seeing the antique furniture and fine art that he passed in his wanders. It could be owed to both Damon's preoccupation and Dante's formidable skills that Dante's presence escaped Damon's notice until the rich tenor of Dante's voice filtered through the air.

"Mal comune, mezzo gaudio." Dante spoke. "What troubles you, Damon?"

Damon's lips curled upwards into a smirk. "Trouble shared is trouble halved, Dante? I'm afraid I've shared too much trouble as it is."

Dante shook his head softly. "Your passerotta feels guilty for bringing us into a fight she thinks is her own and she has made you feel guilty in return."

Damon's lips set into a thin line as he maintained his silence.

Dante smiled at Damon. "She is good for you, Damon. I have seen you struggling for many years, hiding what is the best in you. She lets you show the best parts of you." Dante paused for a moment. "But in this, she is wrong. Do not take this burden on your shoulders, Damon. You were right to bring us into this fight."

Damon remained silent for a moment, placing his hands on the finely carved wood of one of the dining room chairs and looking out the windows that showcased the rich, tropical courtyard outside. Moonlight filtered in through the windows and over his face, playing shadow and light across his features and highlighting the expressions that flickered rapidly across his face. Dante watched as pain, fear and guilt warred inside of Damon until finally a sort of resignation settled upon Damon's countenance and his head lowered.

"I don't know what I'm doing, Dante." He confessed quietly. "I try to be strong for her, but I'm terrified. I can't lose her, but I don't know how to save her. I don't know how to save us." Damon let his eyes close as he drew in a deep breath. "How can I protect her, Dante? Please, tell me how, because right now I don't see any way that we can get out of this alive."

Dante was silent for a moment as Damon looked at him imploringly; he took his time considering how best to answer the questions that Damon had posed. At length Dante spoke, his words soft and carefully considered. "You know that I have long considered you a son, Damon, and when a son is troubled, a father should have words of wisdom to offer him." Dante paused for a moment. "So here is my wisdom, passerotto: you cannot protect her, you can only love her."

At first Damon was quiet, but after a beat he burst into laughter; a dry, humorless chuckle that was laced with despair. "Of course!" He replied somewhat hysterically before running a hand through his midnight black hair and down his neck. "Of course." He reiterated more somberly.

Dante gave Damon a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, my son. I wish I had more to offer you."

Damon shook his head softly. "No, you're right."

Dante observed Damon quietly for a moment, taking in the defeated slump of his shoulders and the agony that was written across his face. Unable to leave Damon in such a state, he was compelled to speak again.

"I never told you that Lia was almost killed." Dante began.

Damon shot Dante a perplexed look before turning his gaze back out the windows. "Thanks, Dante, that makes me feel a lot better."

"I was not done." Dante reprimanded gently.

"My apologies." Damon said sincerely.

Dante disappeared for a moment. When he returned it was with a glass of bourbon that he quickly offered to Damon. "Here. I know it comforts you. Perhaps it will keep you _silent_ while I say what I mean to say."

Damon smirked and took the glass from Dante. "You know me all too well." Damon said as he lifted the glass to his lips, taking a sip of bourbon and falling silent again.

When Dante was satisfied that Damon was listening intently he began again. "You know we lived in Italy for many years, but you must have realized that we could not live there constantly." Dante began again.

"It occurred to me." Damon replied succinctly.

Dante gave a brief nod to indicate that he had figured as much before continuing. "One of the times that we had to leave was in 1561. I convinced Lia that we should travel to Germany. France and Switzerland had been burning witches for over a century, but Germany had yet to give in to the insanity, or so I thought." He paused for a moment, a wry grin curling across his lips. "It seems that they decided it was a good time to start. When we arrived in Weisensteig the city was already in a turmoil. There had been war, religious changes and epidemics; people were looking for someone to blame." Dante's lips set into a thin line as his eyebrows knitted together in displeasure. "We weathered the storm for nearly a year, keeping our heads down and staying as invisible as possible, but when the hailstorm hit the city in August of 1562, Count Ulrich von Helfenstein decided to give the people the scapegoat they so desperately needed: he blamed it on witches."

Damon gave a wry chuckle as he took a sip of his bourbon. "Knowing the witches, they probably did it." He replied smarmily, garnering him a glare from Dante.

"Oh, they did it alright." Dante confirmed to Damon's surprise. "You see, it seems that _one _witch had figured out that the best way to avoid being accused of witchcraft was to point the finger at other people. Nobody suspects the one who is making the accusations, and it was the perfect cover for his real agenda..."

Damon stopped with the glass of bourbon half-way to his lips, staring at Dante in astonishment. "You're not saying..."

"What can kill a vampire besides a stake to the heart?" Dante questioned Damon.

"Fire." Damon replied grimly, his jaw setting into a hard line.

"Precisely." Dante confirmed.

"Let me get this straight: a witch started a witch hunt to kill vampires?" Damon questioned.

"A coven, actually, but there was one witch who lead it. He had the ear of the Count. He was the one who convinced him that something had to be done to stop the so-called witches."

"You _knew _there was a vampire hunting coven of witches out there and you never said anything?" Damon barked in accusation.

"I didn't _know _Damon." Dante defended himself. "Those witches were all long dead. I had no reason to believe that it was a hereditary line with a mission. I thought they were simply rogues. Don't you think that if I had known I would have done everything I could have to destroy them? To protect Lia? To protect _you_?"

Damon closed his eyes and lowered his head in shame. "You're right. I'm sorry, Dante. I know you better than that, I'm just..."

"Upset. I know, Damon, believe me. Please just hear me out." Dante implored him.

Damon nodded his head softly. "I'm sorry. Go on."

"The witch who lead the coven was a man named Conrad Jager. He didn't know who the vampires were in Weisensteig, but he intended to find out. He gave the count a list of suspects and within a matter of days the women he accused were arrested for witchcraft. Lia was thankfully not one of them, but two other vampires were. Jager tortured them for days until they gave up the names of the vampires that they knew and confessed to 'witchcraft.' Then he had them burned at the stake along with four other innocent human women."

Dante paused for a moment and walked away, his distress clearly written in the lines of his body. Damon watched as Dante poured himself a glass of bourbon and took a much longer drink than was his practice. When he had swallowed down the liquor and collected himself, Dante spoke again.

"Three of the vampires that the women named were from Esslingen, Switzerland. The Count sent word and they were arrested, but the authorities there were not as prepared as they were in Germany. The vampires that were arrested in Esslingen compelled those who arrested them to believe that they were innocent and release them. They escaped the country before Jager could collect them. He was furious. When he came back to Weisensteig he convinced the Count that they had been too lenient in Esslingen and that they must not make the same mistake in Weisensteig. The Count agreed with him. They arrested and executed another forty-one women. Of the forty-one, only five were vampires, but after Jager tortured them for days on end those five finally gave him the names of seven other vampires, including myself and Lia.

They came for us just after sunset on the first of November. Jager kept my arrest a secret. Preying on women was one thing, but the Count might have interceded if he knew that Jager had arrested a prominent and well respected man such as myself. He separated me from the women and kept me in a cell by myself. I was given only rat's blood mixed with vervain to sustain myself, if you could call it that. They kept me too weak and drugged to resist them and if I was so foolish as to try they used their powers against me. Jager took a personal interest in torturing me, both physically and psychologically, and he delighted in using Lia against me. I would have given anything to protect her from him, but I had no information to offer him. I was powerless to save her. I could only watch as he did atrocious things to her."

Dante's eyes welled with tears and Damon felt a little sick, both at the thought of the woman who he considered a second mother being tortured and at the thought that such a thing could happen to Elena. "Please tell me there's a point to all of this, Dante." Damon rasped desperately, not wanting to hear any more of what had transpired.

"The point, Damon, was that I wanted to die. I thought many times of killing Lia just to spare her the torture, and I assure you that had I been given the opportunity I would have." Dante ran a trembling hand through his hair as he sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to continue. "I thought that there was no hope. That the best I could hope for, the best thing I could offer Lia, was a quick, clean death. But I was _wrong_, Damon."

"You escaped." Damon surmised. "You saved Lia. How?"

"I assure you, it was no credit to me." Dante said sadly. "Help came from the most unlikely corner: one of the witches."

Damon gave a small smile as he thought of Bonnie, who had tried to kill him on at least one occasion, but who had saved him far more often. "Witches can surprise you at times."

Dante nodded his agreement. "They can. One of the young witches, a girl no more than sixteen, was disgusted by Jager's tactics. By this time he had killed and tortured almost forty human women in his quest to rid the city of vampires. She hated the vampires, but she hated Jager more. She started to give me rat's blood without the vervain. When I began to grow stronger she came to me and struck a deal with me: she would help me to get free if I would kill Jager and free the city and her coven from his reign of terror. As you can imagine, I was more than happy to agree to her terms. It took a week for the vervain to work its way out of my system. When I was finally strong enough the girl offered me her blood and set me free. I nearly killed her in my thirst, but somehow I managed to keep myself from taking that last bit. What I didn't tell the girl was that I had no intention of letting any of her coven live. I went through their stronghold and killed each of them one by one, _slowly_." Dante paused, looking burdened. "It was not my finest hour."

"I am sure you showed more restraint than I would have." Damon growled. Even the thought of someone touching Elena made his vision go red with rage.

"Perhaps." Dante agreed, though he didn't sound convinced. "Regardless, when the night was through the girl's coven was dead, all except for Jager. That coward was nowhere to be found." Dante confessed bitterly. "As much as I wanted to hunt him, I could not. Lia was broken. I could not leave her side. I had to give up my vengeance."

Damon swallowed down the lump in his throat at the thought that the man who had caused so much pain and suffering to his beloved mentors had gone unpunished and unscathed. "How is any of this supposed to make me feel better, Dante?"

"Because we survived, Damon, No matter how hopeless it seemed, no matter how much we suffered, no matter how much we lost...we survived. We survived and we have had many, many more centuries of happiness together while Jager rots in the ground." Dante said vehemently.

"Jager didn't have a stake that would kill an original vampire." Damon pointed out.

"What matters more, Damon? What weapon a man wields, or what man wields a weapon?" Dante questioned him in turn.

Damon gave a small, brief nod. "You really think there is hope, Dante?"

Dante gave Damon a smile. "Where there is life, there is hope, Damon. If my time with Jager taught me anything, it was that. I have come across this coven before and survived; I have to have faith that I can do it again. You should as well. Remember what you are fighting for, Damon. Remember and draw strength from it. If you let yourself despair, they have already won."

"I've never had so much to lose." Damon confessed, his voice barely a whisper.

Dante moved towards Damon and placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Then we must fight harder than ever to make sure that you do not lose it."

Damon gave Dante a brief smile and nodded. "Thank you, Dante. I know how hard it must be for you to think of what happened back then."

Dante smiled at Damon in return. "If it has given you hope, my son, then it is worth it. Go to your passerotta, get some sleep. Enjoy your time with her and remember why it is you fight; I will do the same." Dante let his hand fall from Damon's shoulder and moved to walk out of the room.

Damon watched him go, but before he could leave the room Damon called out to him one last time: "Dante."

Dante paused mid-stride and turned back around to face Damon. "Yes, Damon?" He questioned.

"What happened to the girl? The one who freed you?" He questioned.

Dante's face fell and his eyes darkened momentarily. After a long pause he finally answered: "Jager found out about her complicity. We escaped on December first. On December second Jager executed twenty-one supposed witches. She was the last to be burned."

With this last bit of cold comfort, Dante sadly left the room, leaving Damon alone with his thoughts and his half-empty glass of bourbon.

* * *

**Author's Note: **That's the end of Chapter 39. Quite dark, I know, but hopefully still enjoyable. I'll try to lighten things up a bit in chapters to come. Until then, reviews are always appreciated. :D


	40. Viva Las Vegas

**Author's Note: **Let me start by giving a big thanks to everyone who has reviewed these past couple of chapters and given their congratulations on my wedding. It's much appreciated and I'm very grateful to have such loyal readers. :D A special shout out goes out this chapter to Scarlett2112 who joined my multi-review club and to my unregistered guest reviewer.

So you all know I will be on the road the next couple of days, so you may or may not get an update tomorrow (Wednesday) depending on when I get in to town. If I get a chance to post I'll try to get something up, but if I don't please bear with me.

That being said, let's get on with chapter 40. We're taking a little break from Delena this chapter, but I promise we'll get back to them soon. As always, no copyright infringement is intended. Sadly, Damon, Elena and the rest of the TVD crew still belong to L.J. Smith and the people over at the CW.

* * *

**Chapter 40: Viva Las Vegas**

Rebekah heaved a sigh as she looked around Las Vegas' McCarran airport and shook her head softly, sending her blonde locks fluttering about her head. "It would figure that _Kol's _progeny would be in Las Vegas." She muttered, sounding not in the least pleased by the fact. "Cheap and flashy…it's exactly Kol's style."

Stefan flashed Rebekah a small smile and draped an arm around her shoulders. "Look at the bright side: at least you know that you can find a good hotel room here."

Rebekah gave another sigh, this one sounding more resigned than the last. "I suppose that's true at least."

"And you have me with you." Stefan ventured.

Rebekah's lips curled upwards into a smile. "That's also true. You would have loved Las Vegas back in the twenties."

Stefan's smile faltered a little and Rebekah frowned. "I'm sorry. I forget that those days aren't exactly good memories for you…" She hastened to add.

Stefan shook his head softly. "No…it's fine. The days with you…they were good…it's my own actions that I'm not proud of." He paused for a moment and then plastered on a smile. "That doesn't mean we can't enjoy Las Vegas now."

Rebekah arched an eyebrow curiously. "Saint Stefan is going to enjoy Las Vegas? Isn't that against your strict moral code?" She taunted him playfully.

The corner of Stefan's mouth twitched upwards with amusement at Rebekah's taunting. "As a matter of fact, it's not. I've decided to take a page out of my brother's book and try to enjoy life in moderation."

Rebekah's eyebrows lifted at Stefan's statement. "Does that mean you're going to go back to your old diet?"

Stefan paused for a moment, considering. "Maybe one day, but right now…no. I don't think that this the time for me to be struggling with my diet, but if we survive all of this…maybe."

Rebekah's lips curved upwards into a small smile. "Well well…wonders never cease."

"Rebekah," Stefan began.

"Yes, Stefan?" Rebekah questioned.

Stefan hesitated, holding his silence as seconds ticked by before finally speaking. "I just want you to know that there are a lot of things I regret about my past, but being with you…it isn't one of them. I hate the man I was when I was with you, but I could never hate you."

Rebekah's features softened as she looked at Stefan, taking in the sight of him. He had changed a lot over the years and part of her wondered if they could ever really love each other again, but a larger part of her clung to the love that she'd had for him before Niklaus had put her into a coffin and made her lose almost a century of her life. Yes, he had changed, but then again so had she.

"Stefan?" She called softly.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Do you think we could start over?" Rebekah questioned.

"No." Stefan answered succinctly.

"Oh." Rebekah said, looking crestfallen.

Stefan stopped walking and turned towards Rebekah, gently grasping her arm to make her stop as well before reaching out to cup her cheek in his hand. "We can't just start over, Rebekah, there's too much between us. But that doesn't mean that I don't want to go forward." He explained.

Rebekah's cheeks flushed with pleasure at Stefan's words and a genuine smile lit her face. "Well then…in that case, would you care to escort me to the prom?"

Stefan laughed at Rebekah's question. "Shouldn't I be asking you?"

Rebekah smiled at Stefan in return. "This is the twenty-first century, Stefan. It's perfectly acceptable for a woman to ask a man on a date in these days."

Stefan smiled fondly at Rebekah. "Well then, I guess I had better say yes before someone else asks you instead."

"I suppose you had better." Rebekah agreed.

"Very well then, Rebekah; I would be honored to be your date to the prom." Stefan replied gallantly as he offered his arm to her.

Rebekah laughed at his tone and slid her arm through his. "I'm very glad to hear that, Stefan."

They walked towards the baggage claim arm and arm, smiling happily in spite of the troubles that they knew lay ahead. When they had their luggage and were leaving the airport Rebekah spoke again.

"Stefan?" She said softly.

"Hmm?" He replied.

"I wouldn't have said yes for anyone but you." She confessed with a smile.

Stefan smiled back at her. "Neither would I, Rebekah." He confessed. "Neither would I."

* * *

A short while later the cab that Stefan and Rebekah had procured pulled up in front of the Treasure Island hotel. Rebekah was less than pleased at the fact that she had been forced to endure a ride in a common cab, but Stefan had convinced her that they didn't need the attention associated with renting a limo. So it was that they arrived inconspicuously in front of the hotel. After enduring the necessity of quasi-public transportation, Rebekah was more than ready to return to enjoying the finer things in life. She was absolutely determined that she would not, under any circumstances, be carrying her own bags.

Thankfully she found the hotel adequately staffed and it didn't take long for her to find a bellhop who was happy to carry their luggage. Stefan rolled his eyes a bit at her insistence on having someone else carry her things, but he made no protest. Instead he followed close on Rebekah's heels as she made a beeline for the reception desk.

"We would like the penthouse suite." Rebekah requested politely of the man who stood behind the counter.

The concierge gave Rebekah a quick once over, seeming to assess whether or not she had adequate funds to cover such a request. She flashed him a dazzling smile to keep from strangling him and after a moment's pause he went to work, typing away on his computer.

"I'm sorry, miss, but I'm afraid that the penthouse suite has been reserved for the evening. I can offer you a premiere suite instead." The concierge replied after checking his computer.

"Check again. I'm sure the penthouse suite is reserved under my name." Rebekah replied smoothly, adding the force of compulsion to her voice as she caught and held his gaze.

"Rebekah." Stefan said warningly.

Rebekah heaved a sigh and tossed an irritated look over her shoulder at Stefan before turning her gaze back to the concierge. "Fine. I must have been mistaken. We'll take the premiere suite." Rebekah looked back towards Stefan. "Happy?" She asked him.

Stefan's lips curled upwards into a small grin and he moved to wrap his arms around Rebekah's waist from behind. "Immensely. I'm with you, after all, aren't I?"

Rebekah delicately removed his hands from around her waist and looked down her nose at him. "Save your breath, Stefan. I fully intend to be cross with you for at least the next half hour."

Stefan heaved a sigh. "Well that's a shame." He replied

"And why is that?" Rebekah inquired crisply.

"Beause we have an hour before the show starts and I'm afraid that thirty minutes just isn't long enough to properly christen the room." Stefan replied with a bemused grin plastered across his lips.

"The show?" Rebekah inquired. "I know that you said you intend to have fun while you're in Las Vegas, Stefan, but I'm not really sure that this is the right time to be taking in a show."

"Did I forget to tell you?" Stefan questioned. "Your brother's children just so happen to be performers."

The concierge lifted an eyebrow curiously towards Stefan and Rebekah, but he didn't ask any questions. Years of working in Las Vegas had taught him that sometimes discretion was the better part of valor. "Here are your keys." He said, sliding two electronic keycards over the counter towards them. "I'll need a major credit card for the room and all incidentals."

"Of course." Rebekah replied smoothly, producing a little black credit card from her purse and sliding it across the counter towards the concierge. As the concierge set about swiping the credit card and inputting information Rebekah turned her attention away from him and back to Stefan once more, remarking flippantly: "I sincerely hope that wherever my brother is, he's not neglecting to pay his credit card bills; otherwise he's in for a rather nasty surprise."

Stefan smirked and shook his head softly, not bothering to even comment on the matter of Klaus.

"So...my brother's progeny are strippers?" Rebekah remarked in an off-the-cuff manner. "Why does that not surprise me?" Rebekah asked as she heaved a sigh.

"You're all set. I'll have your luggage delivered to your room shortly." The concierge said as he handed Rebekah her credit card once more; he was polite, but obviously eager to have Stefan and Rebekah out of his presence.

Rebekah seemed to share the concierge's opinion, because she wasted no time in leaving his presence and heading towards the elevator. As they walked Stefan resumed their conversation.

"Actually, your brother's children aren't strippers." He corrected her.

"They aren't? That's a genuine surprise. What exactly do they _perform _then?" She questioned.

"They're acrobats. They're part of the Cirque du Soleil show here at Treasure Island, Mystère." Stefan explained.

"Acrobats. Of course. Flexible. No wonder my brother liked them." She said with a roll of her eyes.

Stefan shrugged his shoulders as if to say _what are you going to do about it_? "We need them, Rebekah. Try to remember that."

Rebekah heaved a frustrated sigh. "Fine. I'll mind my manners."

Stefan smiled at Rebekah. "Thank you."

Rebekah tossed him a deviant look. "Oh, you will."

Stefan cocked an eyebrow curiously. "Oh?" He questioned.

Rebekah gave him a mischievous smile. "Oh yes." She replied eagerly. "I believe you said we had an hour to kill?" She questioned as she hit the elevator button that would take them to their floor.

Stefan grinned at Rebekah in return. "That I did." He replied.

"Well...I'm sure we can find a way for you to make it up to me." She said before pressing her lips to his as the elevator doors slid closed behind them.

* * *

**Author's Note: **That's it for Chapter 40. Don't worry, we'll get around to meeting Kol's children soon, I promise. :) Until then, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As always, reviews are appreciated!


	41. The Right Thing

**Author's Note:** Merry Christmas everyone! I know I haven't posted in FOREVER. I'm so sorry. Life has just been insane between work and moving; also, I managed to smash one of my fingers with a bookcase, so my typing hasn't been so great recently, and I have somehow managed to lose the flash drive that had CC&P on it in the move. . So yeah, it has been a disaster. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed over the past months; I'll try to get back to you ASAP.

So…since Season 4 has begun since last I wrote, I just have to say a few things. A) Did anyone else notice the similarities between Elena's Founder's Ball dress and Elena's dress in Chapter 20: Black Rose? Because I totally did. B) Hooray for DEx! C) Julie Plec…I fucking hate you for this sire bond crap. -_- That is all.

This chapter has been brought to you by "Seven Devils" by Florence + The Machine and "Fire in the Water" by Feist; hooray for musical inspiration! Also, **this chapter is censored. **Since I left you all for so long I figured you deserved some awesome NC-17 goodness, you just can't have it on .

Sadly I didn't get rights to The Vampire Diaries for Christmas, so I still don't own it. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 41: The Right Thing**

Elena awoke to the dim light of morning filtering through pale blue curtains and the faint scent of salt rolling in with the breeze through the still open patio doors. Beside her Damon was sound asleep, the lines of worry that seemed to have been etched into his face over the past week finally eased in repose. Elena stayed still for a moment, watching the way the light played across the hard angles of Damon's face and the softer waves of his hair. She reached out with her fingers to gently brush one ebony strand away from his face before quickly retracting her fingers as Damon stirred and murmured her name in his sleep. Afraid that she would wake him if she stayed, Elena reluctantly slid from beneath the covers and crept from the room, remaining as silent as she possibly could.

Worries and doubts began to plague Elena almost as soon as she left Damon's presence. It had been a struggle trying to remain calm and steady even with Damon's strength to rely on, but when he wasn't there to comfort and distract her with his flippant jokes and snarky commentary the task became downright impossible. Elena found herself pacing the halls of Dante and Lia's home, searching for something to distract her.

Elena found the distraction she'd been looking for when she stumbled into a room that looked like a mix between an office and a library. She stepped into the massive room, admiring the grandeur. She'd never seen a home that had a library in it, but this one was downright impressive. Floor to ceiling bookcases lined both sides of the room while a large bay window took up the far wall. For the moment the windows were covered with the largest curtains that Elena had ever seen, but based on the rest of the home Elena could only assume that the view outside of the windows was spectacular. It wasn't the view that captivated her attention though; instead it was the décor- more specifically one hand painted portrait of a very familiar face. Surprise flickered across her face as she took in the sight of Damon in what she could only assume had been his days as a sailor. In the painting Damon was dressed in a white v-necked shirt that gaped open slightly, showing off the dip between his clavicles. His hair was longer than it was now, showing that the faint waves she knew so well were indeed curls when Damon let them grow. A roguish grin was on his face and the painter had managed to capture a twinkle of mischief in his eyes; quintessential Damon. It occurred to Elena that it had been some time since she had seen Damon look so carefree; in fact she wasn't certain that she had ever seen him just like that. As much as Damon tried to be cavalier and act as if he cared for no one and nothing, Elena knew that it was all just a charade- a mask Damon wore to keep himself protected when the people he loved turned on him or let him down.

"Do you like the painting, passerotta?" Lia asked as she crept into the room.

"Very much so," Elena replied frankly. "Are you the artist?"

A soft chuckle escaped Lia. "I am afraid not, passerotta. That painting is Dante's work."

"He is very talented." Elena commented sincerely.

"I think it is less talent than many, many years of practice, but I'm sure he would appreciate the compliment none the less." Lia responded with a smile.

"When was this painted?" Elena questioned.

"1910 I believe? I can't honestly recall." Lia said with a dismissive flick of her hand.

"It's hard to believe that Damon has been alive so long." Elena said in a soft voice.

"It passes in the blink of an eye, I assure you. You'll see." Lia said with certainty.

Elena gave Lia a sidelong glance. "I doubt that."

Lia smiled. "It will, you'll see."

Elena shook her head softly. "No, I don't doubt that time passes quickly…I doubt that I'll see it."

Lia reached out to gently stroke a hand through Elena's hair in what was meant to be a reassuring fashion. When Elena recoiled Lia instantly retracted her hand.

"My apologies, passerotta. I didn't mean to be overly familiar. I forget sometimes that you are not actually my daughter." Lia said in a conciliatory voice.

"No, it's okay, really. I just wasn't expecting it." Elena explained. "You only just met me, after all."

Lia smiled. "It hardly seems like it."

"Damon couldn't have said that much about me." Elena defended.

"I think you underestimate your importance to him, passerotta, and just how long you have been important to him." Lia replied.

Elena felt her stomach sink. "I'd rather not know just how much of an idiot I was. The things I remembered when I turned were enough to keep me feeling guilty for quite some time."

"He compelled you to forget things?" Lia questioned, canting her head to the side. After a moment's hesitation she shook her head softly. "It would figure; my passerotto is always trying to do the right thing, even at his expense."

"But it wasn't the right thing!" Elena cried vehemently.

Lia smiled serenely. "Perhaps not, but he thought it was. What is past is past, passerotta; all we can do is move forward."

"Towards the end." Elena added quietly.

Lia looked over Elena in an assessing fashion for a moment and then slowly nodded. "Towards the end," she agreed. "We all end, Elena, even vampires. You know that as well as I. You were not afraid to die for your friends before, why are you afraid now?"

"I'm not scared of dying." Elena replied without hesitation. "I'm afraid of not living anymore." She paused for a moment and slowly licked her lips. "There's still so much that I want to do and Damon…" She faltered for a moment, her tongue tripping over the words. "He's lived twice as long as any human, but I can't help but feel that he hasn't really lived at all."

"I've lived enough." Damon's deep tenor cut through the room like a knife, shattering Lia and Elena's bubble of isolation and making both women turn towards him. Damon crossed the room in a few short strides, closing the distance between him and Elena. The air charged instantly and Elena drew in a sharp breath as her dark brown eyes met Damon's glacial blue. They moved together without thinking about it, each motion as natural and easy as breathing. His hand came to rest upon her cheek as she slowly turned to meet his touch, her lips grazing softly across his palm.

Damon closed his eyes in exquisite agony at her touch and slowly lowered his head down until their foreheads touched and their breath intermingled. "You're enough, Elena." He breathed against her lips. "I could spend a thousand years with you and still want more, but every second in your presence…it's a lifetime. I would trade all of my years before I met you for just one second with you. You made it all worthwhile, Elena. All the pain, all the suffering, I'd go through that and more just to have one more night with you."

"Remember that." Lia interjected quietly. "You two are going to need each other in the days to come."

As quickly as she had come Lia was gone from the room, as if she had been nothing more than a dream to begin with. Without Lia between them the air seemed to grow even thicker with unsaid words and turbulent emotions. There was a tense pause as waves of despair and need roiled around Damon and Elena. Emotions warred for supremacy, clashing violently within the two as they stood utterly still, breathing quietly and watching each other, waiting for one or the other to make a move. Seconds passed that felt like hours before they both gave in at the same time, a wave of desperate passion overtaking them both and rolling them under, sending their lips crashing together as they lost themselves in each other.

* * *

When it was all said and done Elena collapsed onto Damon's chest, utterly exhausted and completely sated. Damon draped one arm gently around her, stroking his fingertips through the ends of her hair and down her back. Elena quickly fell into a deep sleep against Damon's chest, her breath fanning softly along his skin. Damon had nearly joined her in sleep when he heard his phone beep softly once.

Careful not to awaken Elena, Damon reached down and pulled his phone from his pocket, holding it up so that he could see. A large, white number one and a picture of an envelope were inside of a red circle, indicating that he had one new message. Damon slid his thumb across the face of the phone to awaken it and pressed on the button to take him to his messages. At the top of the list was "Bonnie Bennett" with a small "1" next to it to show he had one new text message.

His stomach twisted in knots as he pressed on Bonnie's name to open the text message.

_Damon, I found the loophole you were looking for. Are you sure about this? _The text message read.

Damon paused for a moment, looking down at the woman sleeping soundly on his chest.

_Yes, I'm sure. She has to live, Bonnie, no matter what the cost._

Damon's finger hovered over the send button for a moment, doubt filling him. As if sensing his dilemma Elena stirred against him.

"Damon?" She called softly, not opening her eyes.

Before she could awaken fully Damon hit send on the text message. "Yes, love?"

"Is something wrong?" She questioned drowsily.

"No, everything's fine. It was just a text from Bonnie. She found the spell we wanted her to find." Damon lied smoothly.

"Oh, good, we'll do it when we get back then." Elena murmured sleepily.

"Yeah, we'll do it when we get back." Damon replied as he tucked the phone back in his pocket and wrapped his arms around her again. "Now go back to sleep."

Elena drifted off easily as Damon lay awake beneath her, staring at the ceiling and pondering; he knew this was the right thing to do, but one questioned continued to plague him: the right thing for whom?

* * *

**Author's Note: **So what do you think? I apologize if I'm a bit rusty, but I hope I'm not! Most of all, I hope you enjoyed it! Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year! I'll update as soon as I can, so forgive me please for my absences as of late. I love you all and I appreciate all the love and support you give me. You're the best! Until next time, folks.


	42. Z

**Author's Note: **Oh my God, I can't believe how long it has been. T_T I'm so sorry guys. What can I say? Work has been a nightmarish roller coaster over the past couple of months. I've gone through THREE different bosses since the New Year began. . So forgive me, please? My musie has been stifled by exhaustion and long hours of work.

I still don't own TVD, though I really wish I did. Q_Q This season has just made me…so…so very sad. But enough of that! On to the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 42: Z**

Rebekah's breath hitched in her throat and her eyes went wide with amazement. Her fingernails pressed into her palms, leaving small white crescents imprinted into the flesh. Her tongue darted out to whet her lips and Stefan watched with rapt attention.

"Stefan," she breathed softly, "This is amazing."

Stefan gave her a genuine smile and let his eyes trail over her form. "Yes, it is."

"You're not even watching the show." Rebekah replied in a hushed voice, tearing her eyes away from the stage long enough to give him a sidelong glance.

Stefan reached out to gently tuck a strand of hair behind Rebekah's ear and then leaned in until his lips were close enough to brush softly along her earlobe as he spoke. "The show isn't the only thing that's amazing." He replied matter-of-factly.

Rebekah's cheeks flamed with color as she quickly turned to meet his gaze. For a moment they remained staring at each other, their eyes locked and their mouths silent.

It was a round of applause that ended the moment and jerked Rebekah's eyes back to the stage. She watched the show dutifully, her attention overly focused on the performers that danced before her eyes, performing feats that would be impressive even for a vampire, much less a human. Stefan watched Rebekah for a moment longer, waiting to see if she would turn back to him, but when she didn't he too turned his attention back to the show.

By the time the performance was over Rebekah had tears in her eyes. As the applause began Rebekah was the first to rise, giving the performers a standing ovation. Stefan rose to stand beside her and began to applaud as he leaned over to whisper into her ear. "Don't forget why we're here."

Rebekah jerked back as if she'd been burned, an expression of hurt crossing her face momentarily before the mask of composure she so often wore fell back into place. "Of course," she replied crisply as she turned to make her way past the other members of the audience, hardly caring who she knocked over in the process.

Stefan's lips curled into a frown, but he had no time to linger on his faux pas as he was forced to follow Rebekah and focus on the task at hand. When he caught up to her he gently grasped her elbow and tried to slow her to a more moderate pace.

"You're making a scene." Stefan said under his breath.

"And you sound like my brother." Rebekah snapped back tartly. "Perhaps you'd like to stake me in the heart as well?"

"Rebekah," Stefan began to protest, his voice softening.

Rebekah was having none of it. She held up a hand to silence him. "Focus on the task at hand, remember?"

Stefan's mouth set into a displeased grimace, but he reluctantly nodded, recognizing the fact that arguing with Rebekah was futile at this juncture. He walked along with Rebekah in silence, guiding her gently towards the crew members' dressing rooms. As he walked he thought, and eventually one of these thoughts slipped out without him even realizing it.

"You're a lot like Elena, you know?"

Rebekah's eyes flared with heat and her lips contorted into a scowl. "Really? I was unaware of this fact. I suppose that explains a lot."

Stefan frowned, realizing his mistake. "Rebekah, I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, you didn't mean to compare me to your ex-girlfriend who you're apparently still in love with; the girl who, by the way, is now boning your brother?" Rebekah replied in a sugary voice.

"I am not in love with her, Rebekah." Stefan replied, trying to remain calm.

"Really? You could have fooled me." Rebekah replied cattily.

Stefan gave up on remaining calm and jerked Rebekah to him, grasping her by her arms and damn near shaking her to get her to listen. "God damn it, Rebekah, how many times are we going to have to have this conversation? I love Elena like a sister, which, if you haven't noticed, is what she is to me now. Elena is with my brother and even if I _could _feel that way about her again, I would never risk my brother's happiness. Yes, you're like her, but did you ever stop to think that maybe the things that I loved in her were the same things that I loved in you before Elena ever came along?"

Rebekah looked taken aback, but before she had the chance to reply a round of applause caught her attention.

"Well played; very melodramatic. Quite an impressive show, wouldn't you say, Irena?" The clapping stranger questioned. The voice was mostly American, but the way she accented Irena made it clear that at one point or another she had come to America from someplace else. The elaborate and colorful costume she wore made it clear that she was a performer and her face was barely recognizable beneath the makeup that was artfully designed to make her look like some sort of exotic bird.

"A little too much like a soap opera for my tastes," the other stranger, evidently Irena, replied. Judging by the revealing and form fitting costume that Irena wore she was one of the silk dancers; Rebekah could remember being impressed by her skill and grace as she held herself suspended far above the stage, but now that they were face to face Rebekah was finding Irena's biting remarks more than a bit irritating.

"And you two would be…?" Rebekah trailed off, leaving the question open ended.

"The children you are looking for." The bird-like woman replied.

"Though why you would come looking for us I have no idea. Kol cannot possibly expect us to help him." Irena spat in a voice that was quickly gaining more of the accent that Rebekah had first detected in the bird-woman's voice.

"Irena," The bird-woman gently chastised, "Calm yourself; we owe Kol a debt of life, remember?"

"We did not ask for this!" Irena replied sharply.

"Some of the best gifts are those that are given when you do not ask." Bird-woman replied calmly.

"You cannot be serious, Anastazja!" Irena cried out, clearly outraged.

"Enough, Irena. We have discussed this before. If you cannot control yourself, then excuse yourself until you gain some composure." Anastazja said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Irena's eyes flared with anger, but she bit her tongue and turned away, walking down the hall as quickly as she could manage without drawing attention to herself.

Rebekah and Stefan were left staring at Anastazja, dumbfounded by what had just occurred. After a moment of silence Rebekah looked to Stefan and spoke. "Well, that wasn't quite what I was expecting, was that what you were expecting?"

Stefan simply shook his head in reply.

Anastazja breathed out a sigh. "I apologize for Irena's behavior, but it would be best if we discussed this someplace more…discreet." Anastazja nodded her head in the direction of the stunned hotel guests that were currently eyeing them thanks to Irena's little outburst.

Stefan nodded to Anastazja. "Of course, where would you suggest?"

Anastazja paused for a moment before gesturing for them to follow her. "This way," she replied as she turned and headed back towards a door marked: "Employees only."

As soon as they walked through the door the three of them were enveloped in a throng of brightly colored headdresses and painted faces. The movement and color were overwhelming and the sound of the multitude of performers was almost deafening.

"This is certainly not more discreet." Rebekah said snidely.

Anastazja rolled her eyes at Rebekah and opened one of the doors that lead off of the hallway they had entered into before gesturing them inside. "This is," Anastazja quipped in return while she waited for Stefan and Rebekah to enter. Once they had, Anastazja shut the door behind them.

Rebekah looked around the room, admiring the menagerie of elaborate costumes and the various posters and pictures from different performances across the globe. "Impressive. I wasn't aware that private dressing rooms actually existed."

Anastazja shrugged her shoulders. "They do when you're a principal in the show and have been with the company for almost a decade."

Rebekah's eyes widened in surprise, "A decade, truly?"

Anastazja nodded. "Yes, Irena and I have been with the company for some time now. It was a great opportunity for us…one that is now coming to an end." Anastazja gave Rebekah a hardened look before shaking her head. "But that is not your fault; forgive my bitterness."

Rebekah's face softened. "I'm sorry…truly."

Anastazja shook her head softly once more. "Do not be sorry. You would not be here if you did not have good reason for coming."

This time it was Stefan who spoke. "We do have a good reason for coming." He paused for a moment. "But you already knew that we were coming…how?"

Anastazja gave Stefan a small smile and shook her head. "That would be Irena. She is a little…gifted." Anastazja grasped at the air as if searching for a delicate way to describe Irena.

"She's psychic." Rebekah surmised.

Anastazja nodded. "That is close enough to the truth, yes. She senses things…feels things. She does not have visions though; dreams sometimes…dreams that don't always make sense until after whatever they foretold has come to pass." Anastazja's lips curled upwards at the corners. "I believe that your brother hoped that changing her would enhance those abilities, but he was sadly disappointed. I assume that is why he abandoned us."

Rebekah snorted. "Or he just left because he's a man; a spoiled, selfish, fickle man."

Anastazja arched an eyebrow curiously towards Rebekah as a bemused smirk curled across her lips, but before Anastazja could make a comment Stefan cut her off.

"So you and Irena are sisters?" Stefan questioned.

"Lovers," Anastazja replied offhandedly. "Does that surprise you?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Smart woman; men are overrated." Rebekah replied flippantly while Stefan tried to process this new information and think of a way to reply without offending Anastazja anymore than he already had.

"It does surprise me a bit, yes. I would have thought that Kol…" Stefan began, only to have Anastazja cut him off.

"Would have only turned a woman so that he could sleep with them?" Anastazja interjected, clearly amused. "You would not be incorrect in that assumption. Irena and I were not always lovers; in fact, Kol can be given much of the credit for our romantic relationship. We were best friends before Kol turned us…" She paused at the end of her explanation and frowned. "I'm sorry; I'm afraid I don't know your name."

"Stefan." Stefan replied dutifully.

"And I'm Rebekah, Kol's sister." Rebekah added.

Anastazja nodded sagely. "I had assumed as much when I saw you. You look as he described." She smiled sweetly at Rebekah. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Rebekah, and you as well, Stefan, though I cannot profess to know much about you. My name is Anastazja, though I suppose you already derived that from Irena's outburst."

Stefan inclined his head politely towards Anastazja. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Anastazja, regardless of any outbursts. I'm sorry that our arrival has put you into such an uncomfortable situation."

Anastazja sighed. "It was inevitable." She replied with a sad smile. "Irena is not handling it well, I'm afraid. She is still…very sensitive about what Kol did to us. She thought he was our savior, but in the end he was just another person who wanted to use us." She answered gravely.

"My brother, a savior?" Rebekah snorted derisively at the thought.

Anastazja cocked her head to the side curiously and gazed placidly at Rebekah, assessing her. "You might think differently if you knew the whole story." Anastazja pulled up the sleeve of her leotard, exposing a faded tattoo. "The Z stands for Zigeuner. It was the German word for our people, the Roma; what you know as gypsies." Anastazja's lips pursed softly. "Your brother was a Nazi, but he was not heartless as some of them were. He showed us kindness where he could. When he learned of Irena's abilities, he agreed to take her from the camp. He knew as I did that if Mengele learned of her abilities he would want to study her."

Anastazja paused for a moment, catching her breath and steadying herself; it was obvious that she was struggling with the memories, but eventually she pressed on. "When Irena refused to leave without me, he took me too. He took us to Spain and kept us safe. Once we were healthy again he turned us, thinking that it would enhance Irena's gifts and that he could use them to his benefit; when that failed, he disappeared."

Anastazja shrugged her shoulders softly. "Irena has never gotten over that. She feels betrayed. She thought that he genuinely cared for us. I knew that we were only a means to an end for him, really, but he saved us none the less, gave us the chance to have the life we now have. Were it not for him we would have died in Auschwitz, horribly and painfully. Whatever his motives were, I owe him a debt for that and so does Irena, whether she likes admitting it or not." Anastazja looked towards Rebekah and Stefan. "And you two have come to collect on that debt, so tell me, what is it that Kol wants?"

Rebekah sat there in stunned silence for a moment, surprised by the tale that Anastazja had recounted. Even under selfish motives, Kol's actions surprised her. He had risked a lot to save these two women and it was a side of Kol that Rebekah wasn't sure she recognized; perhaps, when this was all over, she would have to get to know her brother better. It fell upon Stefan to speak, since Rebekah was so lost in her own head.

"Kol wants what we all want: to go on living. There are witches who are hunting him, hunting all of us. They want to wipe vampires from the face of the earth." Stefan explained succinctly.

Anastazja's lips curled up at the corners and she shook her head softly. "How very Hitler-esque." She paused for a moment. "Well, it is certainly not the first time someone has wanted to exterminate me." Anastazja said as she stood and rolled down her sleeve, covering the tattoo once more. "Where do you need us to go and how soon will we need to be there?"

"Mystic Falls…you'll only have a day's time." Rebekah spoke in a hushed voice, finally breaking herself free from her stunned silence.

Anastazja nodded. "We will be there. I think it best that I speak to Irena about this alone."

Stefan nodded. "Of course. Whatever you think is best."

Anastazja nodded. "Very well then; Mystic Falls, a day's time," she turned to exit her dressing room and paused at the doorway, looking back at it longingly before looking to Rebekah and Stefan. Rebekah noticed that Anastazja's eyes were slightly misty with unshed tears. "I trust that you two can see yourselves out?"

"Of course." Rebekah replied with a frown as she hastily gathered her things and headed for the door. As she brushed past Anastazja on the way out she looked at the woman with genuine sympathy. "I'm sorry," Rebekah said honestly.

Anastazja simply shook her head. "Best of luck in the coming war; may your casualties be few," Ana replied.

Rebekah could only swallow the lump in her throat and nod numbly. The reality of their situation hit Rebekah with full force and all she could do was allow Stefan to lead her away, all the while thinking about just how little she had learned about how to live in all the years that she had been alive.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know, no Damon and Elena in this chapter. :( It sucks after so long away, but I had to get back to Kol's children eventually! Hopefully I can write a little more as things calm down at work. . And I'm going to _try _(no promises) to get another chapter out today or tomorrow. Until then, take care!


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